156 Analysis of Sudan Vegetation Dynamics Using NOAA-AVHRR NDVI Data from 1993–2003
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Published:2009
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This study employs daily 8km NOAA-AVHRR data of the Pathfinder program to study changes in the annual variability of vegetation in Sudan, during the time period from 1993 to 2003. The daily data were processed to improve 15-day composites using an iterative approach including metadata and robust statistical techniques. Examination of this time series reveals that the period 1993–2003, marked by a trend towards wetter conditions with region-wide above normal NDVI conditions with maximum in 1994 and 1999. This study employs GIS to examine the relationship between rainfall and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in the context of the Sudan, and the value of NDVI is taken as a tool for drought monitoring. The relationship between rainfall and NDVI during 1993 to 2003 in Sudan is examined using spatial analysis methods and a strong positive correlation is found. The correlation is strongest during years of heaviest rainfall, indicating that the relationship between rainfall and NDVI is not a simple linear one.