Hydroclimatic Modeling to Assess Changes in the Surface Area of Al-Adhim Dam Lake Using Remote Sensing
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Abstract
This study investigates the effects of hydroclimatic factors (precipitation and evaporation) on the Al-Adhaim Dam Lake basin during the period from 2000 to 2025. These two variables were used to apply the water balance equation to determine anomalies and identify years of water surplus and deficit. Furthermore, the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) was applied using geographic information system (GIS) software (QGIS) to extract lake surface areas over six temporal intervals: )2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, 2020, 2025(.
The findings indicate variability in the water balance, with the most pronounced positive anomaly observed in 2018, amounting to )176.1( mm, and the lowest value (−66.2 mm) occurring in 2012.
Additionally, a threshold equation (NDWI ≥ 0) was utilized to delineate the water surface area. The estimated lake area was 62.1 km² in 2005, while the maximum recorded extent was reached in 2020 at 88.3 km². This increase reflects the cumulative water storage corresponding to the significant positive anomaly observed in 2018. In contrast, the results demonstrate a notable contraction of the lake in 2025, with the area reducing to 9.6 km².
The study concludes by highlighting the essential role of remote sensing techniques as a key tool for the continuous monitoring of spatial and temporal changes in water bodies.
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