A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing

Abstract Flood mitigation in developing countries has been hindered by a lack of near real‐time reservoir storage information at high temporal resolution. By leveraging satellite passive microwave observations over a reservoir and its vicinity, we present a globally applicable new algorithm to estim...

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Main Authors: Shuai Zhang, Huilin Gao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2016-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069560
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author Shuai Zhang
Huilin Gao
author_facet Shuai Zhang
Huilin Gao
author_sort Shuai Zhang
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Flood mitigation in developing countries has been hindered by a lack of near real‐time reservoir storage information at high temporal resolution. By leveraging satellite passive microwave observations over a reservoir and its vicinity, we present a globally applicable new algorithm to estimate reservoir storage under all‐weather conditions at a 4 day time step. A weighted horizontal ratio (WHR) based on the brightness temperatures at 36.5 GHz is introduced, with its coefficients calibrated against an area training data set over each reservoir. Using a predetermined area‐elevation (A‐H) relationship, these coefficients are then applied to the microwave data to calculate the storage. Validation results over four reservoirs in South Asia indicate that the microwave‐based storage estimations (after noise reduction) perform well (with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.41 to 0.74). This is the first time that passive microwave observations are fused with other satellite data for quantifying the storage of individual reservoirs.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-a5b6c15b3bb244829f3c631dd6bac7e22025-08-20T01:51:54ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072016-08-0143158052805910.1002/2016GL069560A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensingShuai Zhang0Huilin Gao1Zachry Department of Civil Engineering Texas A&M University College Station Texas USAZachry Department of Civil Engineering Texas A&M University College Station Texas USAAbstract Flood mitigation in developing countries has been hindered by a lack of near real‐time reservoir storage information at high temporal resolution. By leveraging satellite passive microwave observations over a reservoir and its vicinity, we present a globally applicable new algorithm to estimate reservoir storage under all‐weather conditions at a 4 day time step. A weighted horizontal ratio (WHR) based on the brightness temperatures at 36.5 GHz is introduced, with its coefficients calibrated against an area training data set over each reservoir. Using a predetermined area‐elevation (A‐H) relationship, these coefficients are then applied to the microwave data to calculate the storage. Validation results over four reservoirs in South Asia indicate that the microwave‐based storage estimations (after noise reduction) perform well (with coefficients of determination ranging from 0.41 to 0.74). This is the first time that passive microwave observations are fused with other satellite data for quantifying the storage of individual reservoirs.https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069560remote sensingreservoir storagepassive microwave
spellingShingle Shuai Zhang
Huilin Gao
A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
Geophysical Research Letters
remote sensing
reservoir storage
passive microwave
title A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
title_full A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
title_fullStr A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
title_full_unstemmed A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
title_short A novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all‐weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
title_sort novel algorithm for monitoring reservoirs under all weather conditions at a high temporal resolution through passive microwave remote sensing
topic remote sensing
reservoir storage
passive microwave
url https://doi.org/10.1002/2016GL069560
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AT huilingao anovelalgorithmformonitoringreservoirsunderallweatherconditionsatahightemporalresolutionthroughpassivemicrowaveremotesensing
AT shuaizhang novelalgorithmformonitoringreservoirsunderallweatherconditionsatahightemporalresolutionthroughpassivemicrowaveremotesensing
AT huilingao novelalgorithmformonitoringreservoirsunderallweatherconditionsatahightemporalresolutionthroughpassivemicrowaveremotesensing