Study indexes and mapping of soil salinity using remote sensing data (Case study: Aji Chay river delta)

Soil is a non-renewable and dynamic resource that the improper land use and management, is susceptible to degradation. Soil salinity one of the important land degradation factors in arid and semi-arid region. Identification and mapping of saline soils often due to temporal and spatial variability, and the need for sampling and laboratory work is difficult. In recent years remote sensing technology, due to the ability to identify phenomena has always been of interest to specialists. Information that obtained from satellite images contributed greatly to the study of various phenomena and can be very helpful in detecting phenomena changes. Case study, Aji Chay river delta was selected that is located in the west of Tabriz city and east of Urmia lake, because this region's importance in terms of agricultural and ecological. In this study used ground data and OLI sensor images from Landsat satellite during 2015, and field sampling was taken at the 5 and 6 August 2015. This data used for study and evaluation, soil salinity indexes. With a significance level analysis and measure study between ground data and output of models, best salinity index selected and extraction soil salinity map. In this index, SIT index has the highest correlation (97%) and presented as best index for salinity study in this region that salinity maps extraction from this index. SI2 index with 52% correlation has lowest correlate between salinity index and ground data. In the study region most areas included very saline class with 42% of the total area.