Monitoring land degradation by soil salinity using Sentinel-2 satellite data and GIS techniques: A case study of Sabkhat Ghuwaymid, Saudi Arabia

13 May 20264 min read0 viewsJournal Feed

GIST (Key Takeaways)

by Ahmed Alneami, Abdullah Almuthibi, Merai Alqahtani, Ahmed A. Alameen, Shahd Alahmadi, Faisal Alharbi, Safiah Almutairi, Mohamed Alshafaey Soil salinity drives land degradation and vegetation loss, posing a significant challenge for agriculture and global efforts to combat desertification.
Enhancing land degradation monitoring methodologies is essential and aligns with the mission of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), which aims to promote sustainable land management. In this context, this study aimed to develop soil salinity prediction models (SSPMs) for monitoring land degradation caused by soil salinity using Sentinel-2 (S2) satellite data and geographic information system (GIS) techniques.
An area of 17.5 km 2 (1750 ha) of Sabkhat Ghuwaymid, located in the Al-Qassim region of Saudi Arabia, was delineated as the study area for developing SSPMs. A total of 118 soil samples were collected using a grid sampling method between February 19 and 22, 2024.
The collected samples were analysed for texture, acidity (pH: 6.97–8.61), total dissolved solids (TDS: 4.25–62.60 g L -1 ), and electrical conductivity (EC: 8.49–125.23 dS m -1 ) as an indicator of soil salinity.

Clinical Editorial

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PLOS ONE (Medicine) published a clinical update in Research Highlights on 13 May 2026.

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