Remote Mapping of Thermodynamic Index of Ecosystem Health Disturbance

Abstract

The study of the ecological system (ES) reaction to anthropogenous loading (AL) has been aimed at developing the remote sensing method for quantitative mapping of AL on ES. The analysis of the problem has shown that the main approach for its solution is to assess the amount of entropy induced in ES by AL. The general formalism has been dis-cussed and the thermodynamic index of ES health disturbance (TIEHD- ) has been deduced from the conservation law as a portion of solar exergy spent by ES on the parrying entropy formed in ES due to AL with respect to the total amount of exergy of solar irradiations absorbed by ES. The technique of remote mapping of TIEHD has been developed. The maps of TIEHD and the normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI)- have been compiled on the basis of NOAA and EOS satellite data. The qualitative and quantitative analysis exhibited the best sensitivity of TIEHD to AL on ES in respect to NDVI.