Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades
Abstract The ICESat‐2 and GEDI missions were launched in 2018, becoming the new generation of space‐borne laser altimeters. These missions provide unprecedented global geodetic elevations, opening great opportunities for water level monitoring. The potential of these altimeters has been demonstrated...
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Wiley
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Water Resources Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035422 |
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| author | Sebastián Palomino‐Ángel Shimon Wdowinski Shanshan Li |
| author_facet | Sebastián Palomino‐Ángel Shimon Wdowinski Shanshan Li |
| author_sort | Sebastián Palomino‐Ángel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The ICESat‐2 and GEDI missions were launched in 2018, becoming the new generation of space‐borne laser altimeters. These missions provide unprecedented global geodetic elevations, opening great opportunities for water level monitoring. The potential of these altimeters has been demonstrated in open‐water environments such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. However, detailed evaluations in vegetated environments, such as wetlands, floodplains, and other areas not constrained by water canal networks, are essential for continued improvement and further hydrological application. We developed a systematic accuracy assessment of ICESat‐2 ATL08, and GEDI L2A products to monitor spatial‐temporal water level and depth dynamics over the South Florida Everglades wetlands. The evaluation was performed on data acquired between 2020 and 2021, using gauge‐based water level and depth estimates as references. The results showed an RMSE of 0.17 m (water level) and 0.15 m (water depth) for ICESat‐2 and 0.75 m (water level) and 0.37 m (water depth) for GEDI. The analysis suggested that nighttime acquisitions were more accurate for both missions than daytime ones. The low‐power beams achieved slightly higher accuracies than those of the high‐power beams over the evaluated wetlands. Water level retrieval was more problematic in densely vegetated areas; however, we derived a correction model based on the leaf area index that improved the accuracy by up to 75% for water depth retrievals from GEDI. Furthermore, the analysis provides new insights to understand the potential of the altimeters in monitoring the spatial‐temporal dynamics of water levels in the evaluated wetlands. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b075020b64f6476b93b67f7d73efae20 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-b075020b64f6476b93b67f7d73efae202025-08-20T03:22:16ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-03-01603n/an/a10.1029/2023WR035422Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida EvergladesSebastián Palomino‐Ángel0Shimon Wdowinski1Shanshan Li2Institute of Environment Department of Earth and Environment Florida International University Miami FL USAInstitute of Environment Department of Earth and Environment Florida International University Miami FL USASchool of Geomatics Science and Technology Nanjing Tech University Nanjing ChinaAbstract The ICESat‐2 and GEDI missions were launched in 2018, becoming the new generation of space‐borne laser altimeters. These missions provide unprecedented global geodetic elevations, opening great opportunities for water level monitoring. The potential of these altimeters has been demonstrated in open‐water environments such as lakes, rivers, and reservoirs. However, detailed evaluations in vegetated environments, such as wetlands, floodplains, and other areas not constrained by water canal networks, are essential for continued improvement and further hydrological application. We developed a systematic accuracy assessment of ICESat‐2 ATL08, and GEDI L2A products to monitor spatial‐temporal water level and depth dynamics over the South Florida Everglades wetlands. The evaluation was performed on data acquired between 2020 and 2021, using gauge‐based water level and depth estimates as references. The results showed an RMSE of 0.17 m (water level) and 0.15 m (water depth) for ICESat‐2 and 0.75 m (water level) and 0.37 m (water depth) for GEDI. The analysis suggested that nighttime acquisitions were more accurate for both missions than daytime ones. The low‐power beams achieved slightly higher accuracies than those of the high‐power beams over the evaluated wetlands. Water level retrieval was more problematic in densely vegetated areas; however, we derived a correction model based on the leaf area index that improved the accuracy by up to 75% for water depth retrievals from GEDI. Furthermore, the analysis provides new insights to understand the potential of the altimeters in monitoring the spatial‐temporal dynamics of water levels in the evaluated wetlands.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035422water level changeswetlands hydrologyevergladesaccuracy assessmentICESat‐2 ATL08GEDI L2A |
| spellingShingle | Sebastián Palomino‐Ángel Shimon Wdowinski Shanshan Li Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades Water Resources Research water level changes wetlands hydrology everglades accuracy assessment ICESat‐2 ATL08 GEDI L2A |
| title | Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades |
| title_full | Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades |
| title_fullStr | Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades |
| title_short | Wetlands Water Level Measurements From the New Generation of Satellite Laser Altimeters: Systematic Spatial‐Temporal Evaluation of ICESat‐2 and GEDI Missions Over the South Florida Everglades |
| title_sort | wetlands water level measurements from the new generation of satellite laser altimeters systematic spatial temporal evaluation of icesat 2 and gedi missions over the south florida everglades |
| topic | water level changes wetlands hydrology everglades accuracy assessment ICESat‐2 ATL08 GEDI L2A |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR035422 |
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