Abstract
Uncertainty Assessment for River Discharge Estimates Based on Satellite Radar Altimetry Sampling
American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting
12/2002
Abstract
Satellite radar altimetry, which is used extensively for measuring ocean water surfaces, may also produce accurate information on inland water levels. As a result, satellite radar altimetry sampling of river water levels has been suggested as a means for discharge estimation for major rivers worldwide. In this study, numerical experiments are used to assess uncertainties in discharge estimates based on satellite water levels. Specifically, historical records and flow rating curves for U.S. Geological Survey gages in the Upper Mississippi River basin are used to simulate satellite water level observations for hypothetical satellite design characteristics. These synthetic satellite water levels are then used to estimate river discharges. Two estimation approaches are examined. In the first, discharge is estimated independently at each site at the time of the satellite overpass. In the second, variational data assimilation is used with a simple hydrologic routing model to estimate discharge at all the sites over a fixed time window. This second approach has the ability to exploit dynamic information on the passage of flood waves through the river network provided by satellite observations at multiple sites. In the numerical experiments, the simulated sequences of satellite-generated flows are compared to the observed flows to quantify errors expected from satellite sensors. Synthetic satellite observations are generated for different satellite orbital repeat periods and for different levels of sensor uncertainty to examine how these parameters affect discharge estimates over daily to annual time scales.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Uncertainty Assessment for River Discharge Estimates Based on Satellite Radar Altimetry Sampling
- Creators
- A Allen Bradley Jr (Author) - University of Iowa, Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Resource Type
- Abstract
- Conference
- American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting
- Comment
- abstract id: H62D-0893
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 12/2002
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; IIHR--Hydroscience and Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984581656902771
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