Articles | Volume 25, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-333-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-333-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
21 Jan 2021
Research article |
| 21 Jan 2021
| 21 Jan 2021
Sentinel-3 radar altimetry for river monitoring – a catchment-scale evaluation of satellite water surface elevation from Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
Liguang Jiang
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
Christian Tøttrup
DHI-GRAS, Hørsholm, 2970, Denmark
Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Kgs. Lyngby, 2800, Denmark
Related authors
Filippo Bandini, Daniel Olesen, Jakob Jakobsen, Cecile Marie Margaretha Kittel, Sheng Wang, Monica Garcia, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4165–4181, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Water depth observations are essential data to forecast flood hazard, predict sediment transport, or monitor in-stream habitats. We retrieved bathymetry with a sonar wired to a drone. This system can improve the speed and spatial scale at which water depth observations are retrieved. Observations can be retrieved also in unnavigable or inaccessible rivers. Water depth observations showed an accuracy of ca. 2.1 % of actual depth, without being affected by water turbidity or bed material.
Cecile M. M. Kittel, Karina Nielsen, Christian Tøttrup, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1453–1472, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1453-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1453-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we integrate free, global Earth observations in a user-friendly and flexible model to reliably characterize an otherwise unmonitored river basin. The proposed model is the best baseline characterization of the Ogooué basin in light of available observations. Furthermore, the study shows the potential of using new, publicly available Earth observations and a suitable model structure to obtain new information in poorly monitored or remote areas and to support user requirements.
Xinyu Chen, Liguang Jiang, Yuning Luo, and Junguo Liu
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 15, 4463–4479, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4463-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-4463-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
River flow is experiencing changes under the impacts of climate change and human activities. For example, flood events are occurring more often and are more destructive in many places worldwide. To deal with such issues, hydrologists endeavor to understand the features of extreme events as well as other hydrological changes. One key approach is analyzing flow characteristics, represented by hydrological indices. Building such a comprehensive global large-sample dataset is essential.
Monica Coppo Frias, Suxia Liu, Xingguo Mo, Karina Nielsen, Heidi Ranndal, Liguang Jiang, Jun Ma, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 1011–1032, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1011-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-1011-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This paper uses remote sensing data from ICESat-2 to calibrate a 1D hydraulic model. With the model, we can make estimations of discharge and water surface elevation, which are important indicators in flooding risk assessment. ICESat-2 data give an added value, thanks to the 0.7 m resolution, which allows the measurement of narrow river streams. In addition, ICESat-2 provides measurements on the river dry portion geometry that can be included in the model.
Youjiang Shen, Dedi Liu, Liguang Jiang, Karina Nielsen, Jiabo Yin, Jun Liu, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 5671–5694, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5671-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-5671-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A data gap of 338 Chinese reservoirs with their surface water area (SWA), water surface elevation (WSE), and reservoir water storage change (RWSC) during 2010–2021. Validation against the in situ observations of 93 reservoirs indicates the relatively high accuracy and reliability of the datasets. The unique and novel remotely sensed dataset would benefit studies involving many aspects (e.g., hydrological models, water resources related studies, and more).
Liguang Jiang, Silja Westphal Christensen, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6359–6379, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6359-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6359-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
River roughness and geometry are essential to hydraulic river models. However, measurements of these quantities are not available in most rivers globally. Nevertheless, simultaneous calibration of channel geometric parameters and roughness is difficult as they compensate for each other. This study introduces an alternative approach of parameterization and calibration that reduces parameter correlations by combining cross-section geometry and roughness into a conveyance parameter.
Sheng Wang, Monica Garcia, Andreas Ibrom, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 3643–3661, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3643-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-3643-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
Remote sensing only provides snapshots of rapidly changing land surface variables; this limits its application for water resources and ecosystem management. To obtain continuous estimates of surface temperature, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, and ecosystem productivity, a simple and operational modelling scheme is presented. We demonstrate it with temporally sparse optical and thermal remote sensing data from an unmanned aerial system at a Danish bioenergy plantation eddy covariance site.
Raphaël Payet-Burin, Mikkel Kromann, Silvio Pereira-Cardenal, Kenneth Marc Strzepek, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4129–4152, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4129-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4129-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
We present an open-source tool for water infrastructure investment planning considering interrelations between the water, food, and energy systems. We apply it to the Zambezi River basin to evaluate economic impacts of hydropower and irrigation development plans. We find trade-offs between the development plans and sensitivity to uncertainties (e.g. climate change, carbon taxes, capital costs of solar technologies, environmental policies) demonstrating the necessity for an integrated approach.
Filippo Bandini, Daniel Olesen, Jakob Jakobsen, Cecile Marie Margaretha Kittel, Sheng Wang, Monica Garcia, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4165–4181, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Water depth observations are essential data to forecast flood hazard, predict sediment transport, or monitor in-stream habitats. We retrieved bathymetry with a sonar wired to a drone. This system can improve the speed and spatial scale at which water depth observations are retrieved. Observations can be retrieved also in unnavigable or inaccessible rivers. Water depth observations showed an accuracy of ca. 2.1 % of actual depth, without being affected by water turbidity or bed material.
Cecile M. M. Kittel, Karina Nielsen, Christian Tøttrup, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1453–1472, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1453-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1453-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, we integrate free, global Earth observations in a user-friendly and flexible model to reliably characterize an otherwise unmonitored river basin. The proposed model is the best baseline characterization of the Ogooué basin in light of available observations. Furthermore, the study shows the potential of using new, publicly available Earth observations and a suitable model structure to obtain new information in poorly monitored or remote areas and to support user requirements.
Raphael Schneider, Peter Nygaard Godiksen, Heidi Villadsen, Henrik Madsen, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 751–764, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-751-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-751-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
We use water level observations from the CryoSat-2 satellite in combination with a river model of the Brahmaputra River, extracting satellite data over a dynamic river mask derived from Landsat imagery. The novelty of this work is the use of the CryoSat-2 water level observations, collected using a complex spatio-temporal sampling scheme, to calibrate a hydrodynamic river model. The resulting model accurately reproduces water levels, without precise knowledge of river bathymetry.
Claus Davidsen, Suxia Liu, Xingguo Mo, Dan Rosbjerg, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 771–785, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-771-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-771-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
In northern China, rivers run dry and groundwater tables drop, causing economic losses for all water use sectors. We present a groundwater-surface water allocation decision support tool for cost-effective long-term recovery of an overpumped aquifer. The tool is demonstrated for a part of the North China Plain and can support the implementation of the recent China No. 1 Document in a rational and economically efficient way.
P. A. Marker, N. Foged, X. He, A. V. Christiansen, J. C. Refsgaard, E. Auken, and P. Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 3875–3890, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3875-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-3875-2015, 2015
P. Bauer-Gottwein, I. H. Jensen, R. Guzinski, G. K. T. Bredtoft, S. Hansen, and C. I. Michailovsky
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1469–1485, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1469-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1469-2015, 2015
N. Foged, P. A. Marker, A. V. Christansen, P. Bauer-Gottwein, F. Jørgensen, A.-S. Høyer, and E. Auken
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 4349–4362, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4349-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4349-2014, 2014
C. I. Michailovsky and P. Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 997–1007, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-997-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-997-2014, 2014
D. Herckenrath, G. Fiandaca, E. Auken, and P. Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4043–4060, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4043-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4043-2013, 2013
Related subject area
Subject: Rivers and Lakes | Techniques and Approaches: Remote Sensing and GIS
Hydrological regime of Sahelian small waterbodies from combined Sentinel-2 MSI and Sentinel-3 Synthetic Aperture Radar Altimeter data
Deriving transmission losses in ephemeral rivers using satellite imagery and machine learning
Long-term water clarity patterns of lakes across China using Landsat series imagery from 1985 to 2020
Remote Quantification of the Trophic Status of Chinese Lakes
Changes in glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin in the central Himalayas
Assimilation of probabilistic flood maps from SAR data into a coupled hydrologic–hydraulic forecasting model: a proof of concept
A simple cloud-filling approach for remote sensing water cover assessments
Evaluation of historic and operational satellite radar altimetry missions for constructing consistent long-term lake water level records
Assessing the capabilities of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission for large lake water surface elevation monitoring under different wind conditions
Assimilation of wide-swath altimetry water elevation anomalies to correct large-scale river routing model parameters
Technical Note: Flow velocity and discharge measurement in rivers using terrestrial and unmanned-aerial-vehicle imagery
River-ice and water velocities using the Planet optical cubesat constellation
Exposure of tourism development to salt karst hazards along the Jordanian Dead Sea shore
A global lake and reservoir volume analysis using a surface water dataset and satellite altimetry
Surface water monitoring in small water bodies: potential and limits of multi-sensor Landsat time series
Technical note: Bathymetry observations of inland water bodies using a tethered single-beam sonar controlled by an unmanned aerial vehicle
Satellite-derived light extinction coefficient and its impact on thermal structure simulations in a 1-D lake model
Observing river stages using unmanned aerial vehicles
Quantification of the contribution of the Beauce groundwater aquifer to the discharge of the Loire River using thermal infrared satellite imaging
Swath-altimetry measurements of the main stem Amazon River: measurement errors and hydraulic implications
Satellite radar altimetry for monitoring small rivers and lakes in Indonesia
Quantifying river form variations in the Mississippi Basin using remotely sensed imagery
River ice flux and water velocities along a 600 km-long reach of Lena River, Siberia, from satellite stereo
Geometric dependency of Tibetan lakes on glacial runoff
Assessing the potential hydrological impact of the Gibe III Dam on Lake Turkana water level using multi-source satellite data
River monitoring from satellite radar altimetry in the Zambezi River basin
Flood occurrence mapping of the middle Mahakam lowland area using satellite radar
Satellite remote sensing of water turbidity in Alqueva reservoir and implications on lake modelling
Hydro-physical processes at the plunge point: an analysis using satellite and in situ data
Regional scale analysis of landform configuration with base-level (isobase) maps
Reconstructing the Tropical Storm Ketsana flood event in Marikina River, Philippines
Reading the bed morphology of a mountain stream: a geomorphometric study on high-resolution topographic data
Mathilde de Fleury, Laurent Kergoat, and Manuela Grippa
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 2189–2204, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2189-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2189-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
This study surveys small lakes and reservoirs, which are vital resources in the Sahel, through a multi-sensor satellite approach. Water height changes compared to evaporation losses in dry seasons highlight anthropogenic withdrawals and water supplies due to river and groundwater connections. Some reservoirs display weak withdrawals, suggesting low usage may be due to security issues. The
satellite-derived water balance thus proved effective in estimating water resources in semi-arid areas.
Antoine Di Ciacca, Scott Wilson, Jasmine Kang, and Thomas Wöhling
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 703–722, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-703-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-703-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We present a novel framework to estimate how much water is lost by ephemeral rivers using satellite imagery and machine learning. This framework proved to be an efficient approach, requiring less fieldwork and generating more data than traditional methods, at a similar accuracy. Furthermore, applying this framework improved our understanding of the water transfer at our study site. Our framework is easily transferable to other ephemeral rivers and could be applied to long time series.
Xidong Chen, Liangyun Liu, Xiao Zhang, Junsheng Li, Shenglei Wang, Yuan Gao, and Jun Mi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 3517–3536, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3517-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-3517-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
A 30 m LAke Water Secchi Depth (LAWSD30) dataset of China was first developed for 1985–2020, and national-scale water clarity estimations of lakes in China over the past 35 years were analyzed. Lake clarity in China exhibited a significant downward trend before the 21st century, but improved after 2000. The developed LAWSD30 dataset and the evaluation results can provide effective guidance for water preservation and restoration.
Sijia Li, Shiqi Xu, Kaishan Song, Tiit Kutser, Zhidan Wen, Ge Liu, Yingxin Shang, Lili Lyu, Hui Tao, Xiang Wang, Lele Zhang, and Fangfang Chen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-91, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2022-91, 2022
Revised manuscript accepted for HESS
Short summary
Short summary
1. Blue/Red and Green/Red Rrs(λ) are sensitive to lake TSI. 2. Machine learning algorithms reveals optimum performance of TSI retrieval. 3. Accurate TSI model was achieved by MSI imagery data and XGBoost. 4. Trophic status in five limnetic regions was qualified. 5. The 10-m TSI products were first produced in typical 555 lakes in China.
Pengcheng Su, Jingjing Liu, Yong Li, Wei Liu, Yang Wang, Chun Ma, and Qimin Li
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 5879–5903, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5879-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-5879-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
We identified ± 150 glacial lakes in the Poiqu River basin (central Himalayas), and we explore the changes in five lakes over the last few decades based on remote sensing images, field surveys, and satellite photos. We reconstruct the lake basin topography, calculate the water capacity, and propose a water balance equation (WBE) to explain glacial lake evolution in response to local weather conditions. The WBE also provides a framework for the water balance in rivers from glacierized sources.
Concetta Di Mauro, Renaud Hostache, Patrick Matgen, Ramona Pelich, Marco Chini, Peter Jan van Leeuwen, Nancy K. Nichols, and Günter Blöschl
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 4081–4097, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4081-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4081-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study evaluates how the sequential assimilation of flood extent derived from synthetic aperture radar data can help improve flood forecasting. In particular, we carried out twin experiments based on a synthetically generated dataset with controlled uncertainty. Our empirical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed data assimilation framework, as forecasting errors are substantially reduced as a result of the assimilation.
Connor Mullen, Gopal Penny, and Marc F. Müller
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 2373–2386, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2373-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-2373-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The level of lake water is rapidly changing globally, and long-term, consistent observations of lake water extents are essential for ascertaining and attributing these changes. These data are rarely collected and challenging to obtain from satellite imagery. The proposed method addresses these challenges without any local data, and it was successfully validated against lakes with and without ground data. The algorithm is a valuable tool for the reliable historical water extent of changing lakes.
Song Shu, Hongxing Liu, Richard A. Beck, Frédéric Frappart, Johanna Korhonen, Minxuan Lan, Min Xu, Bo Yang, and Yan Huang
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 1643–1670, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1643-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-1643-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
This study comprehensively evaluated 11 satellite radar altimetry missions (including their official retrackers) for lake water level retrieval and developed a strategy for constructing consistent long-term water level records for inland lakes. It is a two-step bias correction and normalization procedure. First, we use Jason-2 as the initial reference to form a consistent TOPEX/Poseidon–Jason series. Then, we use this as the reference to remove the biases with other radar altimetry missions.
Jean Bergeron, Gabriela Siles, Robert Leconte, Mélanie Trudel, Damien Desroches, and Daniel L. Peters
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 5985–6000, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5985-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-5985-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
We want to assess how well the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission will be able to provide information on lake surface water elevation and how much of an impact wind conditions (speed and direction) can have on these retrievals.
Charlotte Marie Emery, Sylvain Biancamaria, Aaron Boone, Sophie Ricci, Mélanie C. Rochoux, Vanessa Pedinotti, and Cédric H. David
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 2207–2233, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2207-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-2207-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
The flow of freshwater in rivers is commonly studied with computer programs known as hydrological models. An important component of those programs lies in the description of the river environment, such as the channel resistance to the flow, that is critical to accurately predict the river flow but is still not well known. Satellite data can be combined with models to enrich our knowledge of these features. Here, we show that the coming SWOT mission can help better know this channel resistance.
Anette Eltner, Hannes Sardemann, and Jens Grundmann
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 24, 1429–1445, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1429-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-24-1429-2020, 2020
Short summary
Short summary
An automatic workflow is introduced to measure surface flow velocities in rivers. The provided tool enables the measurement of spatially distributed surface flow velocities independently of the image acquisition perspective. Furthermore, the study illustrates how river discharge in previously ungauged and unmeasured regions can be retrieved, considering the image-based flow velocities and digital elevation models of the studied river reach reconstructed with UAV photogrammetry.
Andreas Kääb, Bas Altena, and Joseph Mascaro
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 4233–4247, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4233-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-4233-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
Knowledge of water surface velocities in rivers is useful for understanding a wide range of processes and systems, but is difficult to measure over large reaches. Here, we present a novel method to exploit near-simultaneous imagery produced by the Planet cubesat constellation to track river ice floes and estimate water surface velocities. We demonstrate the method for a 60 km long reach of the Amur River and a 200 km long reach of the Yukon River.
Najib Abou Karaki, Simone Fiaschi, Killian Paenen, Mohammad Al-Awabdeh, and Damien Closson
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 2111–2127, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2111-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-2111-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
The Dead Sea shore is a unique salt karst system. Development began in the 1960s, when the water resources that used to feed the Dead Sea were diverted. The water level is falling at more than 1 m yr−1, causing a hydrostatic disequilibrium between the underground fresh water and the base level. Despite these conditions, tourism development projects have flourished. Here, we show that a 10 km long strip of coast that encompasses several resorts is exposed to subsidence, sinkholes and landslides.
Tim Busker, Ad de Roo, Emiliano Gelati, Christian Schwatke, Marko Adamovic, Berny Bisselink, Jean-Francois Pekel, and Andrew Cottam
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 23, 669–690, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-669-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-23-669-2019, 2019
Short summary
Short summary
This paper estimates lake and reservoir volume variations over all continents from 1984 to 2015 using remote sensing alone. This study improves on previous methodologies by using the Global Surface Water dataset developed by the Joint Research Centre, which allowed for volume calculations on a global scale, a high resolution (30 m) and back to 1984 using very detailed lake area dynamics. Using 18 in situ volume time series as validation, our volume estimates showed a high accuracy.
Andrew Ogilvie, Gilles Belaud, Sylvain Massuel, Mark Mulligan, Patrick Le Goulven, and Roger Calvez
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4349–4380, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4349-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4349-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Accurate monitoring of surface water extent is essential for hydrological investigation of small lakes (1–10 ha), which supports millions of smallholder farmers. Landsat monitoring of long-term surface water dynamics is shown to be suited to lakes over 3 ha based on extensive hydrometric data from seven field sites over 15 years. MNDWI water classification optimized here for the specificities of small water bodies reduced mean surface area errors by 57 % compared to published global datasets.
Filippo Bandini, Daniel Olesen, Jakob Jakobsen, Cecile Marie Margaretha Kittel, Sheng Wang, Monica Garcia, and Peter Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 4165–4181, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-4165-2018, 2018
Short summary
Short summary
Water depth observations are essential data to forecast flood hazard, predict sediment transport, or monitor in-stream habitats. We retrieved bathymetry with a sonar wired to a drone. This system can improve the speed and spatial scale at which water depth observations are retrieved. Observations can be retrieved also in unnavigable or inaccessible rivers. Water depth observations showed an accuracy of ca. 2.1 % of actual depth, without being affected by water turbidity or bed material.
Kiana Zolfaghari, Claude R. Duguay, and Homa Kheyrollah Pour
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 377–391, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-377-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-377-2017, 2017
Short summary
Short summary
A remotely-sensed water clarity value (Kd) was applied to improve FLake model simulations of Lake Erie thermal structure using a time-invariant (constant) annual value as well as monthly values of Kd. The sensitivity of FLake model to Kd values was studied. It was shown that the model is very sensitive to variations in Kd when the value is less than 0.5 m-1.
Tomasz Niedzielski, Matylda Witek, and Waldemar Spallek
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 20, 3193–3205, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3193-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-20-3193-2016, 2016
Short summary
Short summary
We study detectability of changes in water surface areas on orthophotomaps. We use unmanned aerial vehicles to acquire visible light photographs. We offer a new method for detecting changes in water surface areas and river stages. The approach is based on the application of the Student's t test, in asymptotic and bootstrapped versions. We test our approach on aerial photos taken during 3-year observational campaign. We detect transitions between all characteristic river stages using drone data.
E. Lalot, F. Curie, V. Wawrzyniak, F. Baratelli, S. Schomburgk, N. Flipo, H. Piegay, and F. Moatar
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 4479–4492, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4479-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-4479-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This work shows that satellite thermal infrared images (LANDSAT) can be used to locate and quantify groundwater discharge into a large river (Loire River, France - 100 to 300 m wide). Groundwater discharge rate is found to be highly variable with time and space and maximum during flow recession periods and in winter. The main identified groundwater discharge area into the Loire River corresponds to a known discharge area of the Beauce aquifer.
M. D. Wilson, M. Durand, H. C. Jung, and D. Alsdorf
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 1943–1959, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1943-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-1943-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
We use a virtual mission analysis on a ca. 260km reach of the central Amazon River to assess the hydraulic implications of potential measurement errors in swath-altimetry imagery from the forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission. We estimated water surface slope from imagery of water heights and then derived channel discharge. Errors in estimated discharge were lowest when using longer reach lengths and channel cross-sectional averaging to estimate water slopes.
Y. B. Sulistioadi, K.-H. Tseng, C. K. Shum, H. Hidayat, M. Sumaryono, A. Suhardiman, F. Setiawan, and S. Sunarso
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 19, 341–359, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-341-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-19-341-2015, 2015
Short summary
Short summary
This paper investigates the possibility of monitoring small water bodies through Envisat altimetry observation. A novel approach is introduced to identify qualified and non-qualified altimetry measurements by assessing the waveform shapes for each returned radar signal. This research indicates that small lakes (extent < 100 km2) and medium-sized rivers (e.g., 200--800 m in width) can be successfully monitored by satellite altimetry.
Z. F. Miller, T. M. Pavelsky, and G. H. Allen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 4883–4895, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4883-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-4883-2014, 2014
Short summary
Short summary
Many previous studies have used stream gauge data to estimate patterns of river width and depth based on variations in river discharge. However, these relationships may not capture all of the actual variability in width and depth. We have instead mapped the widths of all of the rivers wider than 100 m (and many narrower) in the Mississippi Basin and then used them to also improve estimates of depth as well. Our results show width and depth variations not captured by power-law relationships.
A. Kääb, M. Lamare, and M. Abrams
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4671–4683, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4671-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4671-2013, 2013
V. H. Phan, R. C. Lindenbergh, and M. Menenti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 4061–4077, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4061-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-4061-2013, 2013
N. M. Velpuri and G. B. Senay
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 3561–3578, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3561-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-3561-2012, 2012
C. I. Michailovsky, S. McEnnis, P. A. M. Berry, R. Smith, and P. Bauer-Gottwein
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 2181–2192, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, 2012
H. Hidayat, D. H. Hoekman, M. A. M. Vissers, and A. J. F. Hoitink
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1805–1816, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1805-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1805-2012, 2012
M. Potes, M. J. Costa, and R. Salgado
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 1623–1633, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1623-2012, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-1623-2012, 2012
A. T. Assireu, E. Alcântara, E. M. L. M. Novo, F. Roland, F. S. Pacheco, J. L. Stech, and J. A. Lorenzzetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 3689–3700, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-3689-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-3689-2011, 2011
C. H. Grohmann, C. Riccomini, and M. A. C. Chamani
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1493–1504, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1493-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1493-2011, 2011
C. C. Abon, C. P. C. David, and N. E. B. Pellejera
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 15, 1283–1289, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-15-1283-2011, 2011
S. Trevisani, M. Cavalli, and L. Marchi
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 14, 393–405, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-393-2010, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-14-393-2010, 2010
Cited articles
Abiodun, B. J., Makhanya, N., Petja, B., Abatan, A. A., and Oguntunde, P. G.:
Future projection of droughts over major river basins in Southern Africa at
specific global warming levels, Theor. Appl. Climatol., 137, 1785–1799, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-018-2693-0, 2019. a
Arsen, A., Crétaux, J. F., and Abarca del Rio, R.: Use of SARAL/AltiKa
over Mountainous Lakes, Intercomparison with Envisat Mission, Mar. Geod., 38, 534–548, https://doi.org/10.1080/01490419.2014.1002590, 2015. a
Beilfuss, R.: A Risky Climate for Southern African Hydro: Assessing
Hydrological Risks and Consequences for Zambezi River Basin Dams, International Rivers, Berkeley, USA, 1–60, https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.30193.48486, 2012. a
Berry, P. A. M., Smith, R. G., and Benveniste, J.: ACE2: the new global
digital elevation model, in: Gravity, geoid and earth observation, edited by:
Mertika, S., Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 231–237, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10634-7_30, 2010. a
Berry, P. A. M., Smith, R., and Benveniste, J.: Altimeter Corrected Elevations, Version 2 (ACE2), NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC), Palisades, NY, https://doi.org/10.7927/H40G3H78, 2019. a
Biancamaria, S., Schaedele, T., Blumstein, D., Frappart, F., Boy, F.,
Desjonquères, J. D., Pottier, C., Blarel, F., and Niño, F.: Validation of Jason-3 tracking modes over French rivers, Remote Sens. Environ., 209, 77–89, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.02.037, 2018. a
Boergens, E., Buhl, S., Dettmering, D., Klüppelberg, C., and Seitz, F.:
Combination of multi-mission altimetry data along the Mekong River with
spatio-temporal kriging, J. Geod., 91, 519–534, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00190-016-0980-z, 2017. a
Bogning, S., Frappart, F., Blarel, F., Niño, F., Mahé, G., Bricquet, J. P., Seyler, F., Onguéné, R., Etamé, J., Paiz, M. C., and Braun, J. J.: Monitoring water levels and discharges using radar altimetry in an ungauged river basin: The case of the Ogooué, Remote Sens., 10, 350, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10020350, 2018. a
da Silva, J. S., Seyler, F., Calmant, S., Filho, O. C. R., Roux, E., Araújo, A. A. M., and Guyot, J. L.: Water level dynamics of Amazon
wetlands at the watershed scale by satellite altimetry, Int. J. Remote Sens., 33, 3323–3353, https://doi.org/10.1080/01431161.2010.531914, 2012. a
Dettmering, D., Schwatke, C., Boergens, E., and Seitz, F.: Potential of
ENVISAT radar altimetry for water level monitoring in the Pantanal wetland,
Remote Sens., 8, 596, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8070596, 2016. a, b, c
Domeneghetti, A.: On the use of SRTM and altimetry data for flood modeling in
data-sparse regions, Water Resour. Res., 52, 2901–2918,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR017967, 2016. a
Domeneghetti, A., Tarpanelli, A., Brocca, L., Barbetta, S., Moramarco, T.,
Castellarin, A., and Brath, A.: The use of remote sensing-derived water
surface data for hydraulic model calibration, Remote Sens. Environ., 149, 130–141, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2014.04.007, 2014. a
Dubey, A. K., Gupta, P. K., Dutta, S., and Singh, R. P.: An improved
methodology to estimate river stage and discharge using Jason-2 satellite
data, J. Hydrol., 529, 1776–1787, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.08.009, 2015. a
Finsen, F., Milzow, C., Smith, R., Berry, P., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Using
radar altimetry to update a large-scale hydrological model of the Brahmaputra
river basin Flemming Finsen, Christian Milzow, Richard Smith, Philippa
Berry, Hydrol. Res., 45, 148–164, https://doi.org/10.2166/nh.2013.191, 2014. a
Getirana, A. C. V. and Peters-Lidard, C.: Estimating water discharge from
large radar altimetry datasets, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 17, 923–933, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-17-923-2013, 2013. a
Hannah, D. M., Demuth, S., van Lanen, H. A., Looser, U., Prudhomme, C., Rees,
G., Stahl, K., and Tallaksen, L. M.: Large-scale river flow archives: Importance, current status and future needs, Hydrol. Process., 25, 1191–1200, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.7794, 2011. a
Jiang, L., Nielsen, K., Andersen, O. B., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Monitoring
recent lake level variations on the Tibetan Plateau using CryoSat-2 SARIn
mode data, J. Hydrol., 544, 109–124, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.11.024, 2017a. a
Jiang, L., Nielsen, K., Andersen, O. B., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: CryoSat-2
radar altimetry for monitoring freshwater resources of China, Remote Sens.
Environ., 200, 125–139, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2017.08.015, 2017b. a, b
Jiang, L., Baltazar, O., Nielsen, K., Zhang, G., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.:
Influence of local geoid variation on water surface elevation estimates
derived from multi-mission altimetry for Lake Namco, Remote Sens. Environ., 221, 65–79, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2018.11.004, 2019a. a
Jiang, L., Madsen, H., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Simultaneous calibration of
multiple hydrodynamic model parameters using satellite altimetry observations
of water surface elevation in the Songhua River, Remote Sens. Environ., 225, 229–247, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2019.03.014, 2019b. a, b, c
Kittel, C. M. M., Nielsen, K., Tøttrup, C., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.:
Informing a hydrological model of the Ogooué with multi-mission remote
sensing data, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 1453–1472,
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-22-1453-2018, 2018. a, b
Kittel, C. M. M., Jiang, L., Tøttrup, C., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Sentinel-3A and Sentinel-3B radar altimetry water surface elevation in the Zambezi catchment [Data set], Zenodo, https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4300845, 2021. a
Kleinherenbrink, M., Lindenbergh, R. C., and Ditmar, P. G.: Monitoring of lake level changes on the Tibetan Plateau and Tian Shan by retracking Cryosat
SARIn waveforms, J. Hydrol, 521, 119–131, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.11.063, 2015. a
Liu, G., Schwartz, F. W., Tseng, K.-H., and Shum, C. K.: Discharge and
water-depth estimates for ungauged rivers: Combining hydrologic, hydraulic,
and inverse modeling with stage and water-area measurements from satellites,
Water Resour. Res., 51, 6017–6035, https://doi.org/10.1002/2015WR016971, 2015. a
Michailovsky, C. I. and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Operational reservoir inflow
forecasting with radar altimetry: the Zambezi case study, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 18, 997–1007, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-18-997-2014, 2014. a
Michailovsky, C. I., McEnnis, S., Berry, P. A. M., Smith, R., and
Bauer-Gottwein, P.: River monitoring from satellite radar altimetry in the
Zambezi River basin, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 16, 2181–2192,
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-16-2181-2012, 2012. a, b, c, d
Michailovsky, C. I., Milzow, C., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Assimilation of radar altimetry to a routing model of the Brahmaputra River, Water Resour. Res., 49, 4807–4816, https://doi.org/10.1002/wrcr.20345, 2013. a
Myers, E., Hess, K., Yang, Z., Xu, J., Wong, A., Doyle, D., Woolard, J., White, S., Le, B., Gill, S., and Hovis, G.: VDatum and strategies for national coverage, in: IEEE Oceans Conference Record, 29 September–4 October 2007, Vancouver, BC, Canada, https://doi.org/10.1109/OCEANS.2007.4449348, 2007. a
Nielsen, K., Stenseng, L., Andersen, O. B., and Knudsen, P.: The performance
and potentials of the CryoSat-2 SAR and SARIn modes for lake level
estimation, Water (Switzerland), 9, 374, https://doi.org/10.3390/w9060374, 2017. a
Ovando, A., Martinez, J. M., Tomasella, J., Rodriguez, D. A., and von Randow,
C.: Multi-temporal flood mapping and satellite altimetry used to evaluate
the flood dynamics of the Bolivian Amazon wetlands, Int. J. Appl. Earth Obs. Geoinf., 69, 27–40, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jag.2018.02.013, 2018. a
Park, E.: Characterizing channel-floodplain connectivity using satellite
altimetry: Mechanism, hydrogeomorphic control, and sediment budget, Remote
Sens. Environ., 243, 111783, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2020.111783, 2020. a, b, c
Pekel, J.-F., Cottam, A., Gorelick, N., and Belward, A. S.: High-resolution
mapping of global surface water and its long-term changes, Nature, 540,
418–422, https://doi.org/10.1038/nature20584, 2016. a
Schneider, R., Godiksen, P. N., Villadsen, H., Madsen, H., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Application of CryoSat-2 altimetry data for river analysis and modelling, Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 21, 751–764,
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-751-2017, 2017. a
Schneider, R., Ridler, M. E., Godiksen, P. N., Madsen, H., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: A data assimilation system combining CryoSat-2 data and hydrodynamic river models, J. Hydrol., 557, 197–210, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2017.11.052, 2018a. a
Schneider, R., Tarpanelli, A., Nielsen, K., Madsen, H., and Bauer-Gottwein, P.: Evaluation of multi-mode CryoSat-2 altimetry data over the Po River against in situ data and a hydrodynamic model, Adv. Water Resour., 112, 17–26, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.advwatres.2017.11.027, 2018b. a
Villadsen, H., Andersen, O. B., Stenseng, L., Nielsen, K., and Knudsen, P.:
CryoSat-2 altimetry for river level monitoring – Evaluation in the
Ganges–Brahmaputra River basin, Remote Sens. Environ., 168, 80–89, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2015.05.025, 2015. a
Villadsen, H., Deng, X., Andersen, O. B., Stenseng, L., Nielsen, K., and
Knudsen, P.: Improved inland water levels from SAR altimetry using novel
empirical and physical retrackers, J. Hydrol., 537, 234–247,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2016.03.051, 2016. a, b, c, d
Vörösmarty, C., Askew, A., Grabs, W., Barry, R. G., Birkett, C.,
Döll, P., Goodison, B., Hall, A., Jenne, R., Kitaev, L., Landwehr, J.,
Keeler, M., Leavesley, G., Schaake, J., Strzepek, K., Sundarvel, S. S.,
Takeuchi, K., and Webster, F.: Global water data: A newly endangered species, Eos Trans. AGU, 82, 54–58, https://doi.org/10.1029/01EO00031, 2001. a
Vu, P. L., Frappart, F., Darrozes, J., Marieu, V., Blarel, F., Ramillien, G.,
Bonnefond, P., and Birol, F.: Multi-satellite altimeter validation along the
French Atlantic coast in the southern Bay of Biscay from ERS-2 to SARAL, Remote Sens., 10, 93, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10010093, 2018. a
Wingham, D. J., Rapley, C. G., and Griffiths, H.: New Techniques in Satellite
Altimeter Tracking Systems, in: Digest – International Geoscience and Remote
Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), September 1986, Zurich, Switzerland, 1339–1344, 1986. a
Wingham, D. J., Francis, C. R., Baker, S., Bouzinac, C., Brockley, D., Cullen, R., de Chateau-Thierry, P., Laxon, S. W., Mallow, U., Mavrocordatos, C., Phalippou, L., Ratier, G., Rey, L., Rostan, F., Viau, P., and Wallis, D. W.: CryoSat: A mission to determine the fluctuations in Earth's land and marine ice fields, Adv.n Space Res., 37, 841–871,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2005.07.027, 2006. a
Yamakazi, D., Ikeshima, D., Tawatari, R., Yamaguchi, T., O'Loughlin, F., Neal, J. C., Sampson, C. C., Kanae, S., and Bates, P. D.: A high-accuracy map of global terrain elevations Dai, Geophys. Res. Lett., 44, 5844–5853,
https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL072874, 2017. a, b
Yan, D., Wang, K., Qin, T., Weng, B., Wang, H., Bi, W., Li, X., Li, M., Lv, Z., Liu, F., He, S., Ma, J., Shen, Z., Wang, J., Bai, H., Man, Z., Sun, C., Liu, M., Shi, X., Jing, L., Sun, R., Cao, S., Hao, C., Wang, L., Pei, M.,
Dorjsuren, B., Gedefaw, M., Girma, A., and Abiyu, A.: A data set of global
river networks and corresponding water resources zones divisions, Scient.
Data, 6, 219, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-019-0243-y, 2019.
a, b
Zakharova, E. A., Kouraev, A. V., Rémy, F., Zemtsov, V. A., and Kirpotin,
S. N.: Seasonal variability of the Western Siberia wetlands from satellite
radar altimetry, J. Hydrol., 512, 366–378, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.03.002, 2014. a, b, c
Zhang, X., Jiang, L., Kittel, C. M. M., and Yao, Z.: On the performance of
Sentinel-3 altimetry over new reservoirs: Approaches to determine on-board
a-priori elevation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 47, 1–11, https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL088770, 2020. a
Short summary
In poorly instrumented catchments, satellite altimetry offers a unique possibility to obtain water level observations. Improvements in instrument design have increased the capabilities of altimeters to observe inland water bodies, including rivers. In this study, we demonstrate how a dense Sentinel-3 water surface elevation monitoring network can be established at catchment scale using publicly accessible processing platforms. The network can serve as a useful supplement to ground observations.
In poorly instrumented catchments, satellite altimetry offers a unique possibility to obtain...
