scholarly journals Using modelled discharge to develop satellite-based river gauging: a case study for the Amazon Basin

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiawei Hou ◽  
Albert I. J. M. van Dijk ◽  
Luigi J. Renzullo ◽  
Robert A. Vertessy
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Optical Data ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Discharge Measurements

Abstract. River discharge measurements have proven invaluable to monitor the global water cycle, assess flood risk, and guide water resource management. However, there is a delay and overall decline in the availability of gauging data and stations are highly unevenly distributed globally. While not a substitute for river discharge measurement, remote sensing is a cost-effective technology to acquire information on river dynamics. The general approach has been to relate satellite observation to discharge measured in situ, which prevents its use for ungauged rivers. Alternatively, hydrological models are now available that can be used to estimate river discharge globally. While subject to greater errors and biases than measurements, model estimates of river discharge do expand the options for applying satellite-based discharge monitoring in ungauged rivers. Our aim was to test this approach. We used gridded surface water extent information from two sources: (1) Global Flood Detection System (GFDS) passive microwave data; and (2) MODIS optical data. The data were available for the common period of 2000–2014. The hydrological model used was the World-Wide Water (W3) model version 2, providing river discharge from 1980 to 2014. We designed and compared two methods to relate simulated storage and discharge to MODIS and GFDS surface water extent fraction for developing satellite gauging reaches (SGRs), and applied the best performing method to construct SGRs across the Amazon Basin. River discharge estimates from MODIS SGRs, GFDS SGRs, and the W3 model were evaluated with in situ river discharge measurements. The results showed SGRs can be successfully established over a large area using MODIS and GFDS water extent and modelled discharge, and used to estimate river discharge at both gauged and ungauged sites.

scholarly journals Using modelled discharge to develop satellite-based river gauging: a case study for the Amazon Basin

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 6435-6448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiawei Hou ◽  
Albert I. J. M. van Dijk ◽  
Luigi J. Renzullo ◽  
Robert A. Vertessy
Keyword(s):  
River Discharge ◽  
Water Resource Management ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Grid Cell ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Satellite Observation ◽  
Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

Abstract. River discharge measurements have proven invaluable to monitor the global water cycle, assess flood risk, and guide water resource management. However, there is a delay, and ongoing decline, in the availability of gauging data and stations are highly unevenly distributed globally. While not a substitute for river discharge measurement, remote sensing is a cost-effective technology to acquire information on river dynamics in situations where ground-based measurements are unavailable. The general approach has been to relate satellite observation to discharge measured in situ, which prevents its use for ungauged rivers. Alternatively, hydrological models are now available that can be used to estimate river discharge globally. While subject to greater errors and biases than measurements, model estimates of river discharge do expand the options for applying satellite-based discharge monitoring in ungauged rivers. Our aim was to test whether satellite gauging reaches (SGRs), similar to virtual stations in satellite altimetry, can be constructed based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) optical or Global Flood Detection System (GFDS) passive microwave-derived surface water extent fraction and simulated discharge from the World-Wide Water (W3) model version 2. We designed and tested two methods to develop SGRs across the Amazon Basin and found that the optimal grid cell selection method performed best for relating MODIS and GFDS water extent to simulated discharge. The number of potential river reaches to develop SGRs increases from upstream to downstream reaches as rivers widen. MODIS SGRs are feasible for more river reaches than GFDS SGRs due to its higher spatial resolution. However, where they could be constructed, GFDS SGRs predicted discharge more accurately as observations were less affected by cloud and vegetation. We conclude that SGRs are suitable for automated large-scale application and offer a possibility to predict river discharge variations from satellite observations alone, for both gauged and ungauged rivers.

scholarly journals River Discharge Estimation based on Satellite Water Extent and Topography: An Application over the Amazon

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1851-1866 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dinh Thi Lan Anh ◽  
Filipe Aires
Keyword(s):  
River Discharge ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Large River ◽  
Water Volume ◽  
Discharge Estimation ◽  
Three Rivers ◽  
Storage Change

Abstract River discharge (RD) estimates are necessary for many applications, including water management, flood risk, and water cycle studies. Satellite-derived long-term GIEMS-D3 surface water extent (SWE) maps and HydroSHEDS data, at 90-m resolution, are here used to estimate several hydrological quantities at a monthly time scale over a few selected locations within the Amazon basin. Two methods are first presented to derive the water level (WL): the “hypsometric curve” and the “histogram cutoff” approaches at an 18 km × 18 km resolution. The obtained WL values are interpolated over the whole water mask using a bilinear interpolation. The two methods give similar results and validation with altimetry is satisfactory, with a correlation ranging from 0.72 to 0.89 in the seven considered stations over three rivers (i.e., Wingu, Negro, and Solimoes Rivers). River width (RW) and water volume change (WVC) are also estimated. WVC is evaluated with GRACE total water storage change, and correlations range from 0.77 to 0.88. A neural network (NN) statistical model is then used to estimate the RD based on four predictors (SWE, WL, WVC, and RW) and on in situ RD measurements. Results compare well to in situ measurements with a correlation of about 0.97 for the raw data (and 0.84 for the anomalies). The presented methodologies show the potential of historical satellite data (the combination of SWE with topography) to help estimate RD. Our study focuses here on a large river in the Amazon basin at a monthly scale; additional analyses would be required for other rivers, including smaller ones, in different environments, and at higher temporal scale.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the ISBA-TRIP continental hydrologic system over the Niger basin using in situ and satellite derived datasets

2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. 1745-1773 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Pedinotti ◽  
A. Boone ◽  
B. Decharme ◽  
J. F. Crétaux ◽  
N. Mognard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Deep Aquifer ◽  
First Order ◽  
Hydrologic System ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Discharge Measurements

Abstract. During the 1970s and 1980s, West Africa has faced extreme climate variations with extended drought conditions. Of particular importance is the Niger basin, since it traverses a large part of the Sahel and is thus a critical source of water for an ever-increasing local population in this semi arid region. However, the understanding of the hydrological processes over this basin is currently limited by the lack of spatially distributed surface water and discharge measurements. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the ability of the ISBA-TRIP continental hydrologic system to represent key processes related to the hydrological cycle of the Niger basin. ISBA-TRIP is currently used within a coupled global climate model, so that the scheme must represent the first order processes which are critical for representing the water cycle while retaining a limited number of parameters and a simple representation of the physics. To this end, the scheme uses first-order approximations to account explicitly for the surface river routing, the floodplain dynamics, and the water storage using a deep aquifer reservoir. In the current study, simulations are done at a 0.5 by 0.5° spatial resolution over the 2002–2007 period (in order to take advantage of the recent satellite record and data from the African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses project, AMMA). Four configurations of the model are compared to evaluate the separate impacts of the flooding scheme and the aquifer on the water cycle. Moreover, the model is forced by two different rainfall datasets to consider the sensitivity of the model to rainfall input uncertainties. The model is evaluated using in situ discharge measurements as well as satellite derived flood extent, total continental water storage changes and river height changes. The basic analysis of in situ discharges confirms the impact of the inner delta area, known as a significant flooded area, on the discharge, characterized by a strong reduction of the streamflow after the delta compared to the streamflow before the delta. In the simulations, the flooding scheme leads to a non-negligible increase of evaporation over large flooded areas, which decreases the Niger river flow by 15% to 50% in the locations situated after the inner delta as a function of the input rainfall dataset used as forcing. This improves the simulation of the river discharge downstream of the delta, confirming the need for coupling the land surface scheme with the flood model. The deep aquifer reservoir improves Niger low flows and the recession law during the dry season. The comparison with 3 satellite products from the Gravity Recovery and Climated Experiment (GRACE) shows a non negligible contribution of the deeper soil layers to the total storage (34% for groundwater and aquifer). The simulations also show a non negligible sensitivity of the simulations to rain uncertainties especially concerning the discharge. Finally, sensitivity tests show that a good parameterization of routing is required to optimize simulation errors. Indeed, the modification of certain key parameters which can be observed from space (notably river height and flooded zones height changes and extent) has an impact on the model dynamics, thus it is suggested that improving the model input parameters using future developments in remote sensing technologies such as the joint CNES-NASA satellite project SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography), which will provide water heights and extentat land surface with an unprecedented 50–100 m resolution and precision.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the satellite-based Global Flood Detection System for measuring river discharge: influence of local factors

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (11) ◽  
pp. 4467-4484 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Revilla-Romero ◽  
J. Thielen ◽  
P. Salamon ◽  
T. De Groeve ◽  
G. R. Brakenridge
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Poor Performance ◽  
Model Verification ◽  
Area Index ◽  
General Terms ◽  
Skill Scores ◽  
Flood Detection ◽  
Discharge Measurements

Abstract. One of the main challenges for global hydrological modelling is the limited availability of observational data for calibration and model verification. This is particularly the case for real-time applications. This problem could potentially be overcome if discharge measurements based on satellite data were sufficiently accurate to substitute for ground-based measurements. The aim of this study is to test the potentials and constraints of the remote sensing signal of the Global Flood Detection System for converting the flood detection signal into river discharge values. The study uses data for 322 river measurement locations in Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America. Satellite discharge measurements were calibrated for these sites and a validation analysis with in situ discharge was performed. The locations with very good performance will be used in a future project where satellite discharge measurements are obtained on a daily basis to fill the gaps where real-time ground observations are not available. These include several international river locations in Africa: the Niger, Volta and Zambezi rivers. Analysis of the potential factors affecting the satellite signal was based on a classification decision tree (random forest) and showed that mean discharge, climatic region, land cover and upstream catchment area are the dominant variables which determine good or poor performance of the measure\\-ment sites. In general terms, higher skill scores were obtained for locations with one or more of the following characteristics: a river width higher than 1km; a large floodplain area and in flooded forest, a potential flooded area greater than 40%; sparse vegetation, croplands or grasslands and closed to open and open forest; leaf area index > 2; tropical climatic area; and without hydraulic infrastructures. Also, locations where river ice cover is seasonally present obtained higher skill scores. This work provides guidance on the best locations and limitations for estimating discharge values from these daily satellite signals.

scholarly journals Past terrestrial water storage (1980–2008) in the Amazon Basin reconstructed from GRACE and in situ river gauging data

2011 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Becker ◽  
B. Meyssignac ◽  
L. Xavier ◽  
A. Cazenave ◽  
R. Alkama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
Hydrological Modeling ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Southern Oscillation ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Terrestrial Water Storage ◽  
Direct Estimate ◽  
Terrestrial Water

Abstract. Terrestrial water storage (TWS) composed of surface waters, soil moisture, groundwater and snow where appropriate, is a key element of global and continental water cycle. Since 2002, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) space gravimetry mission provides a new tool to measure large-scale TWS variations. However, for the past few decades, direct estimate of TWS variability is accessible from hydrological modeling only. Here we propose a novel approach that combines GRACE-based TWS spatial patterns with multi-decadal-long in situ river level records, to reconstruct past 2-D TWS over a river basin. Results are presented for the Amazon Basin for the period 1980–2008, focusing on the interannual time scale. Results are compared with past TWS estimated by the global hydrological model ISBA-TRIP. Correlations between reconstructed past interannual TWS variability and known climate forcing modes over the region (e.g., El Niño-Southern Oscillation and Pacific Decadal Oscillation) are also estimated. This method offers new perspective for improving our knowledge of past interannual TWS in world river basins where natural climate variability (as opposed to direct anthropogenic forcing) drives TWS variations.

scholarly journals Long-term Total Water Storage Change from a SAtellite Water Cycle (SAWC) reconstruction over large south Asian basins

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Pellet ◽  
Filipe Aires ◽  
Fabrice Papa ◽  
Simon Munier ◽  
Bertrand Decharme
Keyword(s):  
Water Resources ◽  
Climate Variability ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Storage Change ◽  
Discharge Measurements

Abstract. The Total Water Storage Change (TWSC) over land is a major component of the global water cycle, with a large influence on climate variability, sea level budget and water resources availability for human life. Its first estimates at large-scale were made available with GRACE observations for the 2002–2016 period, followed since 2018 by the launch of GRACE-FO mission. In this paper, using an approach based on the water mass conservation rule, we proposed to merge satellite-based observations of precipitation and evapotranspiration along with in situ river discharge measurements to estimate TWSC over longer time periods (typically from 1980 to 2016), compatible with climate studies. We performed this task over five major Asian basins, subject to both large climate variability and strong anthropogenic pressure for water resources, and for which long term record of in situ discharge measurements are available. Our SAtellite Water Cycle (SAWC) reconstruction provides TWSC estimates very coherent in terms of seasonal and interannual variations with independent sources of information such as (1) TWSC GRACE-derived observations (over the 2002–2015 period), (2) ISBA-CTRIP model simulations (1980–2015), and (3) multi-satellite inundation extent (1993–2007). This analysis shows the advantages of the use of multiple satellite-derived data sets along with in situ data to perform hydrologically coherent reconstruction of missing water component estimate. It provides a new critical source of information for long term monitoring of TWSC and to better understand their critical role in the global and terrestrial water cycle.

scholarly journals Long-term total water storage change from a Satellite Water Cycle reconstruction over large southern Asian basins

2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (6) ◽  
pp. 3033-3055
Author(s):  
Victor Pellet ◽  
Filipe Aires ◽  
Fabrice Papa ◽  
Simon Munier ◽  
Bertrand Decharme
Keyword(s):  
Climate Variability ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Water Storage ◽  
Anthropogenic Pressure ◽  
Total Water ◽  
Storage Change ◽  
Discharge Measurements

Abstract. The total water storage change (TWSC) over land is a major component of the global water cycle, with a large influence on the climate variability, sea level budget and water resource availability for human life. Its first estimates at a large scale were made available with GRACE (Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment) observations for the 2002–2016 period, followed since 2018 by the launch of the GRACE-FO (Follow-On) mission. In this paper, using an approach based on the water mass conservation rule, we propose to merge satellite-based observations of precipitation and evapotranspiration with in situ river discharge measurements to estimate TWSC over longer time periods (typically from 1980 to 2016), compatible with climate studies. We performed this task over five major Asian basins, subject to both large climate variability and strong anthropogenic pressure for water resources and for which long-term records of in situ discharge measurements are available. Our Satellite Water Cycle (SAWC) reconstruction provides TWSC estimates very coherent in terms of seasonal and interannual variations with independent sources of information such as (1) TWSC GRACE-derived observations (over the 2002–2015 period), (2) ISBA-CTRIP (Interactions between Soil, Biosphere and Atmosphere CNRM – Centre National de Recherches Météorologiques – Total Runoff Integrating Pathways) model simulations (1980–2015) and (3) the multi-satellite inundation extent (1993–2007). This analysis shows the advantages of the use of multiple satellite-derived datasets along with in situ data to perform a hydrologically coherent reconstruction of a missing water component estimate. It provides a new critical source of information for the long-term monitoring of TWSC and to better understand its critical role in the global and terrestrial water cycle.

Assessment of the effect of including information on the water level of surface water bodies into large scale hydrological modelling – Case study Amazon basin

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph Niemann ◽  
Sabrina Wissenbach ◽  
Petra Döll
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Water Level ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Amazon Basin ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Hydrological Modelling ◽  
Water Bodies ◽  
Global Calibration ◽  
Calibration Methods ◽  
Surface Water Bodies

<p>State of the art global hydrological models (GHMs) are able to assess continental water storages and fluxes. Different current GHMs provide conflicting estimates of e.g. evapotranspiration or discharge, resulting in differing water availability or climate change impact estimates. The Global Calibration and Data Assimiliation project (GlobalCDA) aims at enhancing our understanding of global freshwater resources by combining state-of-the-art hydrological modelling with new data assimilition and calibration methods using multiple geodetic and remote sensing data.</p><p>This study is part of the hydrological model development efforts within GlobalCDA and analyzes the effect of the adaptation and implementation of an existing dynamic floodplain model (Adam, 2017) into WaterGAP2.2d, a state-of-the-art GHM. The implemented floodplain model approach combines the modeling of a two-way river-floodplain interaction, downstream water transport within river and floodplain and flood-plain-groundwater interactions. </p><p>The effect of information on the water level of surface water bodies on the model results is assessed using the Amazon basin as study area. Observed river discharge is used to assess the changes in model efficiency as floodplains and other wetlands have a strong impact on river discharge dynamics. This study shows the value of the modeling of large floodplains and wetlands for an improved estimation of terrestrial water cycle components.</p>

scholarly journals Rationale for Monitoring Discharge on the Ground

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1977-1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Balázs M. Fekete ◽  
Ulrich Looser ◽  
Alain Pietroniro ◽  
Richard D. Robarts
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
River Discharge ◽  
Hydrological Cycle ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
In Situ Monitoring ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Earth Observations ◽  
Discharge Monitoring ◽  
Earth’S Climate

Abstract The hydrological cycle is receiving increasing attention both as an essential natural resource for humans and ecosystems and as a critical component controlling the earth’s climate system. Better understanding of the water cycle and its interaction with changing climate will require improved monitoring of the various water fluxes and storages in hydrological processes. River discharge is a unique component reflecting an integrated hydrological signal over larger regions. Existing in situ monitoring solutions to monitor discharge are often considered too expensive and the difficulties in data sharing are viewed as insurmountable obstacles, which has led to growing interest in finding an alternative. This paper argues that in situ monitoring is far less expensive than claimed and the obstacles are not necessarily as insurmountable as often stated and a conscious effort to revitalize in situ monitoring will be needed. This paper demonstrates that there is no substitute for in situ discharge monitoring, but there should be a synergy between in situ monitoring and remote sensing since they are truly complementary. This paper primarily focuses on river discharge, but the conclusions are relevant for a host of other earth observations (particularly water quality) that would greatly benefit from a reconsidered balance between in situ and remote sensing observations.

scholarly journals Estimating river discharge from earth observation measurement of river surface hydraulic variables

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 7839-7861 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Negrel ◽  
P. Kosuth ◽  
N. Bercher
Keyword(s):  
River Discharge ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Earth Observation ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Along Track ◽  
Hydraulic Variables

Abstract. River discharge is a key variable to quantify the water cycle, its fluxes and stocks at different scales, from local scale for the efficient management of water resource to global scale for the monitoring of climate change. Therefore, developing Earth observation (EO) techniques for the measurement or estimation of river discharge is a major challenge. A key question deals with the possibility of deriving river discharge values from EO surface variables (width, level, slope, velocity the only one accessible through EO) without any in situ measurement. Based on a literature study and original developments, the possibilities of estimating water surface variables using remote-sensing techniques have been explored, mainly RADAR altimetry as well as across-track and along-track interferometry.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document