The use of the LANDSAT MSS in the study of land use/cover and water quality relationships: a case study of the Lake Anna Watershed

The purpose of this research was to explore the potential of using LANDSAT MSS data in the study of land use/cover patterns and turbidity relationships within the Lake Anna watershed. Two premises of this research are that a relationship exists between land use/cover patterns and turbidity levels, and that LANDSAT MSS data can be used to study this relationship. Turbidity levels within Lake Anna were estimated by the chromaticity technique used by Munday et al and were correlated to two groups of ground-based data -- surface turbidity levels and the product of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). Estimated turbidity levels correlated moderately well with surface data, but only a slight relationship could be established between land use/cover patterns and estimated turbidity. Possible explanations for these results were grouped into two categories, practical and conceptual problems. Practical problems were defined as data collection problems and included LANDSAT system and data accuracy problems. Conceptual problems were problems based on theoretical issues of using LANDSAT MSS data to study relationships between land use/cover patterns and turbidity levels. Conceptual problems remained even after the practical problems were solved. The accomplishments of this research included the application of chromaticity analysis to small man-made reservoirs, further exploration of the relationship between land use/cover patterns, and turbidity levels, and extension of LANDSAT MSS data in watershed management. Most importantly, this research exposed some of the limitations in using LANDSAT MSS data to study relationships between land use/cover patterns and turbidity levels.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Geography

Department dc:contributor.department

Geography

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

Year dc:date.issued

1983

Author dc:creator

• Jones, Stephen Ashton

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76017

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76017