Characterizing surface temperature and clarity of Kuwait's seawaters using remotely sensed measurements and GIS analyses

Kuwait sea surface temperature (SST) and water clarity are important water characteristics that influence the entire Kuwait coastal ecosystem. The spatial and temporal distributions of these important water characteristics should be well understood to obtain a better knowledge about this productive coastal environment. The aim of this project was therefore to study the spatial and temporal distributions of: Kuwait SST using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) images collected from January 2003 to July 2007; and Kuwait Secchi Disk Depth (SDD), a water clarity measure, using Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) and MODIS data collected from November 1998 to October 2004 and January 2003 to June 2007, respectively.;Kuwait SST was modeled based on the linear relationship between level 2 MODIS SST data and in situ SST data. MODIS SST images showed a significant relationship with in situ SST data ( r2= 0.98, n = 118, RMSE = 0.7°C). Kuwait SST images derived from MODIS data exhibited three spatial patterns of Kuwait SST across the year that were mainly attributed to the northwestern counterclockwise water circulation of the Arabian Gulf, and wind direction and intensity. The temporal variation of Kuwait SST was greatly influenced by the seasonal variation of solar intensity and air temperatures. Kuwait SDD was measured through two steps: first, computing the diffuse light attenuation coefficient at 490 nm, Kd(490), and 488 nm, Kd(488), derived from SeaWiFS and MODIS, respectively, using a semi-analytical algorithm; second, establishing two SDD models based on the empirical relationship of Kd(490) and Kd(488) with in situ SDD data. Kd(490) and Kd(488) showed a significant relationship with in situ SDD data ( r2= 0.67 and r2= 0.68, respectively). Kuwait SDD images showed distinct spatial and temporal patterns of Kuwait water clarity that were mainly attributed to three factors: the Shatt Al-Arab discharge, water circulation, and coastal currents.;The SeaWiFS and MODIS data compared to in situ measurements provided a comprehensive view of the studied seawater characteristics that improved their overall estimation within Kuwait's waters. Also, the near-real-time availability of SeaWiFS and MODIS data and their highly temporal resolution make them a very advantageous tool for studying coastal environments. Thus, I recommend involving this method in monitoring Kuwait coastal environments.