This study focuses on Tuz Lake and its surroundings, located in the Central Anatolia region. The primary aim is to determine the onset and severity of drought using multiple drought indices. A temporal annual dataset spanning the years 2000–2023 was utilized for drought assessment in the study area. To identify drought periods, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI), Land Surface Temperature Index (LST), Temperature Condition Index (TCI), Vegetation Condition Index (VCI), and Vegetation Health Index (VHI) were analyzed using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and MODIS-based satellite data. The results indicate that before 2015, particularly in 2001, 2005, and 2008, severe drought conditions prevailed, with SPEI values dropping to-1.5,-0.8, and-1.2, respectively. In 2003 and 2007, SPEI values were relatively higher (-0.7 to 0), indicating less severe drought conditions. The analyses suggest a decline in drought severity in 2015. The overall trend for Tuz Lake and its surroundings reveals increasing drought severity since 2001, with significant drought events occurring in 2008, 2014, 2017, and 2021. This study demonstrates that drought in the research area can be spatially identified using GEE and MODIS-based satellite data.
Drought, Google Earth Engine, MODIS, Lake Tuz