Satellite remote sensing estimation of river discharge: Application to the Yukon River Alaska

• Published in: Journal of Hydrology
• Main Authors: Bjerklie, David M., Birkett, Charon M., Jones, John W., Carabajal, Claudia, Rover, Jennifer A., Fulton, John W., Garambois, Pierre-andre
• Other Authors: Laboratoire des sciences de l'ingénieur, de l'informatique et de l'imagerie (ICube), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées - Strasbourg (INSA Strasbourg), Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-École Nationale du Génie de l'Eau et de l'Environnement de Strasbourg (ENGEES)-Réseau nanophotonique et optique, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Matériaux et nanosciences d'Alsace (FMNGE), Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA) Mulhouse - Colmar (Université de Haute-Alsace (UHA))-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Chimie du CNRS (INC)-Université de Strasbourg (UNISTRA)-Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2018
• Subjects: Remote sensing; Landsat surface water extent Jason-2; water surface height River discharge; Yukon River Alaska; [SPI.ACOU]Engineering Sciences [physics]/Acoustics [physics.class-ph]; Gage; Yukon; Yukon river; Alaska
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02362515; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02362515/document; https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02362515/file/islandora_77837.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2018.04.005

International audience A methodology based on general hydraulic relations for rivers has been developed to estimate the discharge (flow rate) of rivers using satellite remote sensing observations. The estimates of discharge, flow depth, and flow velocity are derived from remotely observed water surface area, water surface slope, and water surface height, and demonstrated for two reaches of the Yukon River in Alaska, at Eagle (reach length 34.7 km) and near Stevens Village (reach length 38.3 km). The method is based on fundamental equations of hydraulic flow resistance in rivers, including the Manning equation and the Prandtl-von Karman universal velocity distribution equation. The method employs some new hydraulic relations to help define flow resistance and height of the zero flow boundary in the channel. Estimates are made both with and without calibration. The water surface area of the river reach is measured by using a provisional version of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Landsat based product named Dynamic Surface Water Extent (DSWE). The water surface height and slope measurements require a self-consistent datum, and are derived from observations from the Jason-2 satellite altimeter mission. At both reach locations, the Jason-2 radar altimeter non-winter heights consistently tracked the stage recorded at USGS streamgages with a standard deviation of differences (error) during the non-winter periods of less than 7%. Part of the error may be due to differences in the gage and altimeter crossing locations with respect to the range of stage change and the response to changes in discharge at the upstream and downstream locations. For the non-winter periods, the radar derived slope estimates (mean = 0.0003) were constant over the mission lifetime, and in agreement with previously measured USGS water surface slopes and slopes determined from USGS topographic maps. The accuracy of the mean of the uncalibrated daily estimates of discharge varied between reaches, ranging from 13% near Stevens Village (N = 90) ...