Remote sensing of volumetric storage changes in lakes

✍ Scribed by Laurence C. Smith; Tamlin M. Pavelsky

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2009
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 737 KB
• Volume: 34
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0360-1269
• DOI: 10.1002/esp.1822

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

Three‐dimensional remote sensing promises a giant leap forward for surface‐water hydrology in much the same way that radar altimetry transformed physical oceanography. However, the complex geometries of small terrestrial water bodies introduce difficulties, particularly with respect to trade‐offs between changing water depth and inundation area. We use in situ measurements of water‐surface stage (Δ__H__/d__t__) and remotely‐sensed area (A) to compute time varying storage changes (Δ__S__) in nine lakes of the Peace‐Athabasca Delta, Canada. Despite their identical geomorphic setting, regression slopes between Δ__H__ and A vary significantly between lakes, primarily from a predictable ‘area‐effect’ but also small bathymetric variations between basins. On average, lateral contraction/expansion (versus stage adjustment) contributes as little as 7% (versus 93%) to as much as 76% (versus 24%) of overall storage change Δ__S__. We conclude that both surface‐area and Δ__H__/d__t__, rather than just either alone, must be measured to confidently estimate Δ__S__ from space. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.