Preliminary investigation of Lake Victoria groundwater situation from AVHRR data

This study uses the findings that lake temperatures from processed thermal infrared data can be used to identify inflow zones of groundwater into a lake. Spatial and temporal temperature anomalies are indicative of groundwater flow into a lake. NOAA AVHRR scenes of Lake Victoria catchment for different seasons of 2004 were acquired, processed and analyzed. The surface temperature maps of the lake produced from this data indicated two major seasonal patterns of lake surface temperature distribution. These warm and cold season patterns are indicative of groundwater inflow. This preliminary assessment of groundwater discharge of Lake Victoria, probably the first of its type in the history of the lake’s water balance studies is a good starting point for further studies including investigation of possible subsurface outflow.