Characterizing Surface Water from Space with Microwave Remote Sensing: Advancing Conventional and Emerging Approaches
type: CreativeWork
description: The extent and dynamics of land surface inundation vary tremendously across the globe. Accurate spatial representation of terrestrial surface water is of critical importance for management and conservation of biodiversity and other ecosystem services associated with freshwater. Furthermore, surface water maps representing dynamic characteristics of inundated areas are also valuable for the development of wetland inventories and to assess the role of wetlands as major natural sources of methane to the atmosphere. Despite the importance of these environments in global processes and to current and future climate, the extent and dynamics of global wetlands remain poorly characterized and modeled. The objective of this research is to extend the capabilities of satellite microwave remote sensing techniques to map hydrodynamic ecosystems and investigate related Earth-science questions. This thesis examines inundation detection using three independent approaches: (1) a combination of coarse-resolution active and passive sensors, (2) synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and (3) bistatic Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R). Advancements in each method are presented along with discussion on the associated trade-offs in temporal and spatial scales and sensor sensitivities. A series of coarse-resolution radiometer and scatterometer records have been re-assembled to construct the Surface Water Microwave Product Series version 3 (SWAMPSv3), a consistent long-term, global record suitable for large-scale hydrological assessments in addition to v retrospective local investigations. This relied on improved filtering and grid posting of swath-level microwave observations, updated ancillary data sets, and refined end-member calibration over arid and semi-arid regions. Large scale trends across the 25-year record are presented, along with a focused case-study on surface inundation patterns and historical malaria occurrence in East Africa. Regional-scale assessments were …
abstract: The extent and dynamics of land surface inundation vary tremendously across the globe. Accurate spatial representation of terrestrial surface water is of critical importance for management and conservation of biodiversity and other ecosystem services associated with freshwater. Furthermore, surface water maps representing dynamic characteristics of inundated areas are also valuable for the development of wetland inventories and to assess the role of wetlands as major natural sources of methane to the atmosphere. Despite the importance of these environments in global processes and to current and future climate, the extent and dynamics of global wetlands remain poorly characterized and modeled. The objective of this research is to extend the capabilities of satellite microwave remote sensing techniques to map hydrodynamic ecosystems and investigate related Earth-science questions. This thesis examines inundation detection using three independent approaches: (1) a combination of coarse-resolution active and passive sensors, (2) synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and (3) bistatic Global Navigation Satellite System reflectometry (GNSS-R). Advancements in each method are presented along with discussion on the associated trade-offs in temporal and spatial scales and sensor sensitivities. A series of coarse-resolution radiometer and scatterometer records have been re-assembled to construct the Surface Water Microwave Product Series version 3 (SWAMPSv3), a consistent long-term, global record suitable for large-scale hydrological assessments in addition to v retrospective local investigations. This relied on improved filtering and grid posting of swath-level microwave observations, updated ancillary data sets, and refined end-member calibration over arid and semi-arid regions. Large scale trends across the 25-year record are presented, along with a focused case-study on surface inundation patterns and historical malaria occurrence in East Africa. Regional-scale assessments were …
author: Jensen, Katherine
keywords: Environmental Monitoring, Fresh Water Studies, Hydrology, Water Resource Management, microwave remote sensing, synthetic aperture radar, wetlands, flooding, GNSS reflectometry
date published: 2020-06-01T07:00:00Z
date modified: 2026-07-24T01:59:05Z
provider: City University of New York - Graduate Center
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: The Graduate School and University Center of The City University of New York