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AirSWOT InSAR Mapping of Surface Water Elevations and Hydraulic Gradients Across the Yukon Flats Basin, Alaska
Author(s) -
Pitcher Lincoln H.,
Pavelsky Tamlin M.,
Smith Laurence C.,
Moller Delwyn K.,
Altenau Elizabeth H.,
Allen George H.,
Lion Christine,
Butman David,
Cooley Sarah W.,
Fayne Jessica V.,
Bertram Mark
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
water resources research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.863
H-Index - 217
eISSN - 1944-7973
pISSN - 0043-1397
DOI - 10.1029/2018wr023274
Subject(s) - ocean surface topography , permafrost , surface water , wetland , landform , swot analysis , hydrology (agriculture) , structural basin , environmental science , arctic , interferometric synthetic aperture radar , remote sensing , geology , synthetic aperture radar , elevation (ballistics) , satellite , subsurface flow , geomorphology , groundwater , oceanography , ecology , marketing , aerospace engineering , engineering , business , biology , geotechnical engineering , geometry , mathematics , environmental engineering
AirSWOT, an experimental airborne Ka‐band interferometric synthetic aperture radar, was developed for hydrologic research and validation of the forthcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission (to be launched in 2021). AirSWOT and SWOT aim to improve understanding of surface water processes by mapping water surface elevation (WSE) and water surface slope (WSS) in rivers, lakes, and wetlands. However, the utility of AirSWOT for these purposes remains largely unexamined. We present the first investigation of AirSWOT WSE and WSS surveys over complex, low‐relief, wetland‐river hydrologic environments, including (1) a field‐validated assessment of AirSWOT WSE and WSS precisions for lakes and rivers in the Yukon Flats Basin, an Arctic‐Boreal wetland complex in eastern interior Alaska; (2) improved scientific understanding of surface water flow gradients and the influence of subsurface permafrost; and (3) recommendations for improving AirSWOT precisions in future scientific and SWOT validation campaigns. AirSWOT quantifies WSE with an RMSE of 8 and 15 cm in 1 and 0.0625 km 2 river reaches, respectively, and 21 cm in lakes. This indicates good utility for studying hydrologic flux, WSS, geomorphic processes, and coupled surface/subsurface hydrology in permafrost environments. This also suggests that AirSWOT supplies sufficient precision for validating SWOT WSE and WSS over rivers, but not lakes. However, improvements in sensor calibration and flight experiment design may improve precisions in future deployments as may modifications to data processing. We conclude that AirSWOT is a useful tool for bridging the gap between field observations and forthcoming global SWOT satellite products.