scholarly journals Evaluating Water Level Changes at Different Tidal Phases Using UAV Photogrammetry and GNSS Vertical Data

Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (17) ◽  
pp. 3778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norhafizi Mohamad ◽  
Mohd Faisal Abdul Khanan ◽  
Anuar Ahmad ◽  
Ami Hassan Md Din ◽  
Himan Shahabi
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
High Tide ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Water Level Changes ◽  
Vertical Data ◽  
Tidal Data ◽  
Vertical Accuracy ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

Evaluating water level changes at intertidal zones is complicated because of dynamic tidal inundation. However, water level changes during different tidal phases could be evaluated using a digital surface model (DSM) captured by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with higher vertical accuracy provided by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Image acquisition using a multirotor UAV and vertical data collection from GNSS survey were conducted at Kilim River, Langkawi Island, Kedah, Malaysia during two different tidal phases, at high and low tides. Using the Structure from Motion (SFM) algorithm, a DSM and orthomosaics were produced as the main sources of data analysis. GNSS provided horizontal and vertical geo-referencing for both the DSM and orthomosaics during post-processing after field observation at the study area. The DSM vertical accuracy against the tidal data from a tide gauge was about 12.6 cm (0.126 m) for high tide and 34.5 cm (0.345 m) for low tide. Hence, the vertical accuracy of the DSM height is still within a tolerance of ±0.5 m (with GNSS positioning data). These results open new opportunities to explore more validation methods for water level changes using various aerial platforms besides Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) and tidal data in the future.

Performance Assessment of GNSS-R Polarimetric Observations for Sea Level Monitoring

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mahmoud Rajabi ◽  
Mstafa Hoseini ◽  
Hossein Nahavandchi ◽  
Maximilian Semmling ◽  
Markus Ramatschi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Circular Polarization ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Lower Accuracy ◽  
Coastal Sea ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite

<p>Determination and monitoring of the mean sea level especially in the coastal areas are essential, environmentally, and as a vertical datum. Ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) is an innovative way which is becoming a reliable alternative for coastal sea-level altimetry. Comparing to traditional tide gauges, GNSS-R can offer different parameters of sea surface, one of which is the sea level. The measurements derived from this technique can cover wider areas of the sea surface in contrast to point-wise observations of a tide gauge.  </p><p>We use long-term ground-based GNSS-R observations to estimate sea level. The dataset includes one-year data from January to December 2016. The data was collected by a coastal GNSS-R experiment at the Onsala space observatory in Sweden. The experiment utilizes three antennas with different polarization designs and orientations. The setup has one up-looking, and two sea-looking antennas at about 3 meters above the sea surface level. The up-looking antenna is Right-Handed Circular Polarization (RHCP). The sea-looking antennas with RHCP and Left-Handed Circular Polarization (LHCP) are used for capturing sea reflected Global Positioning System (GPS) signals. A dedicated reflectometry receiver (GORS type) provides In-phase and Quadrature (I/Q) correlation sums for each antenna based on the captured interferometric signal. The generated time series of I/Q samples from different satellites are analyzed using the Least Squares Harmonic Estimation (LSHE) method. This method is a multivariate analysis tool which can flexibly retrieve the frequencies of a time series regardless of possible gaps or unevenly spaced sampling. The interferometric frequency, which is related to the reflection geometry and sea level, is obtained by LSHE with a temporal resolution of 15 minutes. The sea level is calculated based on this frequency in six modes from the three antennas in GPS L1 and L2 signals.</p><p>Our investigation shows that the sea-looking antennas perform better compared to the up-looking antenna. The highest accuracy is achieved using the sea-looking LHCP antenna and GPS L1 signal. The annual Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 15-min GNSS-R water level time series compared to tide gauge observations is 3.7 (L1) and 5.2 (L2) cm for sea-looking LHCP, 5.8 (L1) and 9.1 (L2) cm for sea-looking RHCP, 6.2 (L1) and 8.5 (L2) cm for up-looking RHCP. It is worth noting that the GPS IIR block satellites show lower accuracy due to the lack of L2C code. Therefore, the L2 observations from this block are eliminated.</p>

scholarly journals Deriving surface soil moisture from reflected GNSS signal observations from a grassland site in southwestern France

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibo Zhang ◽  
Jean-Christophe Calvet ◽  
José Darrozes ◽  
Nicolas Roussel ◽  
Frédéric Frappart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Grassland Site

Abstract. This work aims to assess the estimation of surface volumetric soil moisture (VSM) using the Global Navigation Satellite System Interferometric Reflectometry (GNSS-IR) technique. Year-round observations were acquired from a grassland site in southwestern France using an antenna consecutively placed at two contrasting heights above the ground surface (3.3 or 29.4 m). The VSM retrievals are compared with two independent reference datasets: in situ observations of soil moisture, and numerical simulations of soil moisture and vegetation biomass from the ISBA (Interactions between Soil, Biosphere and Atmosphere) land surface model. Scaled VSM estimates can be retrieved throughout the year removing vegetation effects by the separation of growth and senescence periods and by the filtering of the GNSS-IR observations that are most affected by vegetation. Antenna height has no significant impact on the quality of VSM estimates. Comparisons between the VSM GNSS-IR retrievals and the in situ VSM observations at a depth of 5 cm show a good agreement (R2 = 0.86 and RMSE = 0.04 m3 m−3). It is shown that the signal is sensitive to the grass litter water content and that this effect triggers differences between VSM retrievals and in situ VSM observations at depths of 1 cm and 5 cm, especially during light rainfall events.

scholarly journals Determination of Conversion Constant between Lagos Datum and Niger Delta Mean Lower Low Water Datum and their Horizontal and Vertical Accuracy Standards using GNSS Observations

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 56-68
Author(s):  
M. O. Ehigiator ◽  
S. O. Oladosu
Keyword(s):  
Niger Delta ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Constant Factor ◽  
Common Mean ◽  
Height Determination ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Vertical Accuracy ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Gnss Observations

With the use of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technology, it is now possible to determine the position of points in 3D coordinates systems. Lagos datum is the most common Mean Sea Level used in most parts of Nigeria. In Niger Delta, for instance Warri and its environs, the most commonly used datum for height determination is the Mean Lower Low Water Datum. It then becomes necessary to determine a constant factor for conversion between the two datum when the need arises as both are often encountered during Geomatics Engineering field operations. In this paper, the constant to be applied in converting between both datum was determined. The constant was found to be 17.79m. The horizontal and vertical accuracy standard was also determined as well as the stack maps.

scholarly journals ICESat-2 Marine Bathymetry: Extraction, Refraction Adjustment and Vertical Accuracy as a Function of Depth in Mid-Latitude Temperate Contexts

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (21) ◽  
pp. 4352
Author(s):  
Seamus Coveney ◽  
Xavier Monteys ◽  
John D. Hedley ◽  
Yeray Castillo-Campo ◽  
Brian Kelleher
Keyword(s):  
Satellite System ◽  
Coastal Monitoring ◽  
Temperate Latitude ◽  
Bathymetric Survey ◽  
Bathymetric Data ◽  
Monitoring Applications ◽  
Vertical Accuracy ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Maximum Photon ◽  
Manual Extraction

Nearshore bathymetric data are used in many coastal monitoring applications, but acquisition conditions can be challenging. Shipborne surveys are prone to the risk of grounding in shallow waters, and scheduled airborne surveys often fail to coincide with optimal atmospheric and water conditions. As an alternative, since its launch in 2018, ICESat-2 satellite laser profile altimetry data provide free and readily available data on a 91-day repeat cycle, which may contain incidental bathymetric returns when suitable environmental conditions prevail. In this paper, the vertical accuracy of extracted, refraction-adjusted ICESat-2 nearshore marine bathymetric data is evaluated at four test sites in a Northern hemisphere, temperate latitude location. Multiple ICEsat-2 bathymetric values that occurred in close horizontal proximity to one another were averaged at a spatial scale of 1 m and compared with Multibeam Echosounder bathymetric survey data and Global Navigation Satellite System reference data. Mean absolute errors of less than 0.15 m were observed up to depths of 5 m, with errors of less than 0.24 m (to 6 m), 0.39 m (to 7 m) and 0.52 m (to 10 m). The occurrence of larger bathymetric errors with depth, which increase to 0.54 m at maximum photon depths of 11 m, appears to be primarily related to reduced numbers of geolocated photons with depth. The accuracies achieved up to 6 m suggest that the manual extraction, refraction adjustment and bathymetric filtering steps were effective. Overall, the results suggest that ICESat-2 bathymetric data accuracy may be sufficient to be considered for use in nearshore coastal monitoring applications where shipborne and airborne bathymetric data might otherwise be applied.

scholarly journals A comparison of methods to estimate vertical land motion trends from GNSS and altimetry at tide gauge stations

Ocean Science ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Kleinherenbrink ◽  
Riccardo Riva ◽  
Thomas Frederikse
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Vertical Land Motion ◽  
Correlation Threshold ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Along Track

Abstract. Tide gauge (TG) records are affected by vertical land motion (VLM), causing them to observe relative instead of geocentric sea level. VLM can be estimated from global navigation satellite system (GNSS) time series, but only a few TGs are equipped with a GNSS receiver. Hence, (multiple) neighboring GNSS stations can be used to estimate VLM at the TG. This study compares eight approaches to estimate VLM trends at 570 TG stations using GNSS by taking into account all GNSS trends with an uncertainty smaller than 1 mm yr−1 within 50 km. The range between the methods is comparable with the formal uncertainties of the GNSS trends. Taking the median of the surrounding GNSS trends shows the best agreement with differenced altimetry–tide gauge (ALT–TG) trends. An attempt is also made to improve VLM trends from ALT–TG time series. Only using highly correlated along-track altimetry and TG time series reduces the SD of ALT–TG time series by up to 10 %. As a result, there are spatially coherent changes in the trends, but the reduction in the root mean square (RMS) of differences between ALT–TG and GNSS trends is insignificant. However, setting correlation thresholds also acts like a filter to remove problematic TG time series. This results in sets of ALT–TG VLM trends at 344–663 TG locations, depending on the correlation threshold. Compared to other studies, we decrease the RMS of differences between GNSS and ALT–TG trends (from 1.47 to 1.22 mm yr−1), while we increase the number of locations (from 109 to 155), Depending on the methods the mean of differences between ALT–TG and GNSS trends vary between 0.1 and 0.2 mm yr−1. We reduce the mean of the differences by taking into account the effect of elastic deformation due to present-day mass redistribution. At varying ALT–TG correlation thresholds, we provide new sets of trends for 759 to 939 different TG stations. If both GNSS and ALT–TG trend estimates are available, we recommend using the GNSS trend estimates because residual ocean signals might correlate over long distances. However, if large discrepancies ( > 3 mm yr−1) between the two methods are present, local VLM differences between the TG and the GNSS station are likely the culprit and therefore it is better to take the ALT–TG trend estimate. GNSS estimates for which only a single GNSS station and no ALT–TG estimate are available might still require some inspection before they are used in sea level studies.

scholarly journals Toward a Comprehensive Dam Monitoring: On-Site and Remote-Retrieved Forcing Factors and Resulting Displacements (GNSS and PS–InSAR)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1543
Author(s):  
Antonino Maltese ◽  
Claudia Pipitone ◽  
Gino Dardanelli ◽  
Fulvio Capodici ◽  
Jan-Peter Muller
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Landsat 8 ◽  
South Italy ◽  
Time Period ◽  
One Year ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Interferometric Sar ◽  
Dam Monitoring ◽  
Environmental Temperatures

Many factors can influence the displacements of a dam, including water level variability and environmental temperatures, in addition to the dam composition. In this work, optical-based classification, thermal diachronic analysis, and a quasi-PS (Persistent Scatter) Interferometric SAR technique have been applied to determine both forcing factors and resulting displacements of the crest of the Castello dam (South Italy) over a one-year time period. The dataset includes Sentinel-1A images acquired in Interferometric Wide swath mode using the Terrain Observation with Progressive Scans SAR (TOPSAR); Landsat 8 Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) thermal images, and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) for interpreting the motion of the top of the dam retrieved via interferometry. Results suggest that it is possible to monitor both dam water level and temperature periodic forcing factors and resulting displacements via a synergistic use of different satellite images.

scholarly journals Deriving surface soil moisture from reflected GNSS signal observations from a grassland site in southwestern France

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 1931-1946 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibo Zhang ◽  
Jean-Christophe Calvet ◽  
José Darrozes ◽  
Nicolas Roussel ◽  
Frédéric Frappart ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Land Surface Model ◽  
Ground Surface ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Surface Model ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Grassland Site

Abstract. This work assesses the estimation of surface volumetric soil moisture (VSM) using the global navigation satellite system interferometric reflectometry (GNSS-IR) technique. Year-round observations were acquired from a grassland site in southwestern France using an antenna consecutively placed at two contrasting heights above the ground surface (3.3 and 29.4 m). The VSM retrievals are compared with two independent reference datasets: in situ observations of soil moisture, and numerical simulations of soil moisture and vegetation biomass from the ISBA (Interactions between Soil, Biosphere and Atmosphere) land surface model. Scaled VSM estimates can be retrieved throughout the year removing vegetation effects by the separation of growth and senescence periods and by the filtering of the GNSS-IR observations that are most affected by vegetation. Antenna height has no significant impact on the quality of VSM estimates. Comparisons between the VSM GNSS-IR retrievals and the in situ VSM observations at a depth of 5 cm show good agreement (R2= 0.86 and RMSE = 0.04 m3 m−3). It is shown that the signal is sensitive to the grass litter water content and that this effect triggers differences between VSM retrievals and in situ VSM observations at depths of 1 and 5 cm, especially during light rainfall events.

scholarly journals A comparison of data weighting methods to derive vertical land motion trends from GNSS and altimetry at tide gauge stations

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Kleinherenbrink ◽  
Riccardo Riva ◽  
Thomas Frederikse
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Vertical Land Motion ◽  
Correlation Threshold ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Global Navigation Satellite ◽  
Along Track ◽  
Weighting Methods

Abstract. This study compares eight weighting techniques for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-derived Vertical Land Motion (VLM) trends at 570 tide gauge (TG) stations. The spread between the methods has a comparable size as the formal uncertainties of the GNSS trends. Taking the median of the surrounding GNSS trends shows the best agreement with differenced altimetry – tide gauge (ALT-TG) trends. An attempt is also made to improve VLM trends from ALT-TG time series. Only using highly correlated along-track altimetry and TG time series, reduces the standard deviation of ALT-TG time series up to 10 %. As a result, there are spatially coherent changes in the trends, but the reduction in the RMS of differences between ALT-TG and GNSS trends is insignificant. However, setting correlation thresholds also acts like a filter to remove problematic TG stations. This results in sets of ALT-TG VLM trends at 344–663 TG locations, depending on the correlation threshold. Compared to other studies, we decrease the RMS of differences between GNSS and ALT-TG trends (from 1.47 to 1.22 mm/yr), while we increase the number of locations (from 109 to 155), Depending on the weighting methods the mean of differences between ALT-TG and GNSS trends varies between 0.1–0.2 mm/yr. We reduce the mean of differences by taking into account the effect of elastic deformation due to present-day mass redistribution into account.

scholarly journals Precise water level measurements using low-cost GNSS antenna arrays

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 673-685
Author(s):  
David J. Purnell ◽  
Natalya Gomez ◽  
William Minarik ◽  
David Porter ◽  
Gregory Langston
Keyword(s):  
Water Level ◽  
Antenna Arrays ◽  
Tide Gauge ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Satellite System ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Optimum Number ◽  
Tide Gauges ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Water Level Measurements

Abstract. We have developed a ground-based Global Navigation Satellite System Reflectometry (GNSS-R) technique for monitoring water levels with a comparable precision to standard tide gauges (e.g. pressure transducers) but at a fraction of the cost and using commercial products that are straightforward to assemble. As opposed to using geodetic-standard antennas that have been used in previous GNSS-R literature, we use multiple co-located low-cost antennas to retrieve water levels via inverse modelling of signal-to-noise ratio data. The low-cost antennas are advantageous over geodetic-standard antennas not only because they are much less expensive (even when using multiple antennas in the same location) but also because they can be used for GNSS-R analysis over a greater range of satellite elevation angles. We validate our technique using arrays of four antennas at three test sites with variable tidal forcing and co-located operational tide gauges. The root mean square error between the GNSS-R and tide gauge measurements ranges from 0.69–1.16 cm when using all four antennas at each site. We find that using four antennas instead of a single antenna improves the precision by 30 %–50 % and preliminary analysis suggests that four appears to be the optimum number of co-located antennas. In order to obtain precise measurements, we find that it is important for the antennas to track GPS, GLONASS and Galileo satellites over a wide range of azimuth angles (at least 140∘) and elevation angles (at least 30∘). We also provide software for analysing low-cost GNSS data and obtaining GNSS-R water level measurements.

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