A Strategy for Estimating Nutrient Concentrations Using Remote Sensing Datasets and Hydrological Modeling

This paper presents a methodology for estimating nutrient concentrations of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) through the use of hydrological modeling, remote sensing datasets, and nutrient export coefficients. The strategy is applied to the Upper Tombigbee watershed, located in the northern region of the states of Mississippi and Alabama, USA. USGS GIRAS (1986), NASA MODIS MOD12Q1 (2001-2004) land use datasets, and USGS-DEM topographical datasets were used to characterize the physiography of the watershed. TN and TP concentration values estimated using the methodology were compared to values reported in the literature.