Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge
Abstract With growing global capability for satellite measurement of river discharge (flow) comes a need to understand and reduce error in satellite‐based discharge measurements. Satellite‐based discharge estimates are based on measurements of water surface width, elevation, slope, and potentially v...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2024-06-01
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| Series: | Water Resources Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR034583 |
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| author | Jack Eggleston Chris Mason Dave Bjerklie Mike Durand Rob Dudley Merritt Harlan |
| author_facet | Jack Eggleston Chris Mason Dave Bjerklie Mike Durand Rob Dudley Merritt Harlan |
| author_sort | Jack Eggleston |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract With growing global capability for satellite measurement of river discharge (flow) comes a need to understand and reduce error in satellite‐based discharge measurements. Satellite‐based discharge estimates are based on measurements of water surface width, elevation, slope, and potentially velocity. Site selection is important for reducing error and uncertainty in both conventional and satellite‐based discharge measurements because geomorphic river characteristics have strong control over the relationships between discharge and width, water surface elevation (or depth), slope, and velocity. A large ground‐truth data set of 8,445 conventional hydraulic measurements, collected by acoustic Doppler current profilers at 503 stations in the United States, was developed and quality assured to examine correlation between river discharge and water surface width, depth, velocity, and cross‐sectional area. A separate database of river surface slope and discharge time‐series was developed from paired continuous monitoring stations to examine slope‐discharge correlations. Results show that discharge correlates most strongly with velocity, cross‐sectional area, depth, width, and slope, in that order. Uncertainty of satellite discharge estimates is affected by observed hydraulic variable and reach‐specific variability in observed variable(s) characteristics including range of variability, georegistration accuracy, and stability over time of relationships between discharge and observed hydraulic variable. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2ddc5c4e1aa44538367dab998eaaffe |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0043-1397 1944-7973 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Water Resources Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-b2ddc5c4e1aa44538367dab998eaaffe2025-08-20T03:30:55ZengWileyWater Resources Research0043-13971944-79732024-06-01606n/an/a10.1029/2023WR034583Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River DischargeJack Eggleston0Chris Mason1Dave Bjerklie2Mike Durand3Rob Dudley4Merritt Harlan5U.S. Geological Survey Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch Leetown WV USAU.S. Geological Survey Virginia‐West Virginia Water Science Center Richmond VA USAU.S. Geological Survey New England Water Science Center East Hartford CT USASchool of Earth Sciences and Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center Ohio State University Columbus OH USAU.S. Geological Survey New England Water Science Center Pembroke NH USAU.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hydrologic Remote Sensing Branch Lakewood CO USAAbstract With growing global capability for satellite measurement of river discharge (flow) comes a need to understand and reduce error in satellite‐based discharge measurements. Satellite‐based discharge estimates are based on measurements of water surface width, elevation, slope, and potentially velocity. Site selection is important for reducing error and uncertainty in both conventional and satellite‐based discharge measurements because geomorphic river characteristics have strong control over the relationships between discharge and width, water surface elevation (or depth), slope, and velocity. A large ground‐truth data set of 8,445 conventional hydraulic measurements, collected by acoustic Doppler current profilers at 503 stations in the United States, was developed and quality assured to examine correlation between river discharge and water surface width, depth, velocity, and cross‐sectional area. A separate database of river surface slope and discharge time‐series was developed from paired continuous monitoring stations to examine slope‐discharge correlations. Results show that discharge correlates most strongly with velocity, cross‐sectional area, depth, width, and slope, in that order. Uncertainty of satellite discharge estimates is affected by observed hydraulic variable and reach‐specific variability in observed variable(s) characteristics including range of variability, georegistration accuracy, and stability over time of relationships between discharge and observed hydraulic variable.https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR034583satellite monitoringdischargeriver dischargestream gagingSWOT |
| spellingShingle | Jack Eggleston Chris Mason Dave Bjerklie Mike Durand Rob Dudley Merritt Harlan Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge Water Resources Research satellite monitoring discharge river discharge stream gaging SWOT |
| title | Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge |
| title_full | Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge |
| title_fullStr | Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge |
| title_full_unstemmed | Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge |
| title_short | Siting Considerations for Satellite Observation of River Discharge |
| title_sort | siting considerations for satellite observation of river discharge |
| topic | satellite monitoring discharge river discharge stream gaging SWOT |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1029/2023WR034583 |
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