Impact of atmospheric correction on land-use classification and water demand for the Aral Sea basin

The Aral Sea, once the fourth largest inland sea in surface area in the world, is located at the border between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Water was taken out from two major rivers to expand the area of irrigated land, resulting in desertification of the sea. The drying part of the sea remained heavily salted after water evaporation, causing salt and dust storms and therefore aeolian deposition of these components on plants, affecting agricultural productivity and quality. Atmospheric effects in the interpretation of time series images of land characteristics are used to estimate currently cultivated areas being irrigated in the Syrdarya flood plain, to determine water demand. This paper examines differences between single and time series land classification, and the effects of atmospheric correction. Ground-truth data from a fieldtrip in Kazakhstan are presented.