MELNYCHENKO T.A. Application of remote sensing data and Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI) to determine the geomorphology of flooded coasts

https://doi.org/10.15407/gpimo2025.02.068

T.A. Melnychenko, PhD (Geol.), Senior Researcher
e-mail: meltanua777@gmail.com
ORCID 0000-0002-6597-4274

SSI MariGeoEcoCenter NAS Ukraine
55 b st. Oles Honchar, Kyiv, 01054, Ukraine

APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING DATA AND NORMALIZED DIFFERENCE TURBIDITY INDEX (NDTI) TO DETERMINE THE GEOMORPHOLOGY OF FLOODED COASTS

This publication is devoted to studying the geomorphological features of the seafloor on the northwestern Black Sea shelf (within the Dnipro Estuary) utilizing remote sensing data processing methodologies.

Based on a range of geological evidence, the present-day morphology of the northwestern Black Sea shelf represents a continuation of the late Pleistocene subaerial coastal plain, which was incised by fluvial valleys and subsequently modified and partially leveled by a multi-phase marine transgression that persists to the present day. In coastal regions, seafloor geomorphology is primarily defined by inundated terraces and relict shorelines, which are of significant interest to geologists, ecologists, and archaeologists alike. When direct access to water bodies is restricted, remote sensing provides the most effective means of studying inundated shorelines. This study utilizes satellite observations from the Sentinel2 mission, applying spectral band combinations based on the Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI) derived index for assessing water turbidity and transparency. By applying specialized imageprocessing techniques to satellite data, we reconstructed the position of the former coastline within the Dnipro Estuary, now submerged. The results were validated against bathymetric maps. This approach can be recommended for investigations of seafloor geomorphology, coastal geoecological processes, and enhancing the accuracy of locating ancient settlements.

Keywords: coast, remote sensing, multispectral data, northwestern Black Sea shelf, water surface, Normalized Difference Turbidity Index (NDTI).

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