Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin
The hydrodynamics of low-lying riverine floodplains and wetlands play a critical role in hydrology and ecosystem processes. Because small topographic features affect floodplain storage and flow velocity, a hydrodynamic model setup of these regions imposes more stringent requirements on the input Dig...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/7/6/7938 |
| _version_ | 1798030841532645376 |
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| author | Hahn Chul Jung Michael F. Jasinski |
| author_facet | Hahn Chul Jung Michael F. Jasinski |
| author_sort | Hahn Chul Jung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The hydrodynamics of low-lying riverine floodplains and wetlands play a critical role in hydrology and ecosystem processes. Because small topographic features affect floodplain storage and flow velocity, a hydrodynamic model setup of these regions imposes more stringent requirements on the input Digital Elevation Model (DEM) compared to upland regions with comparatively high slopes. This current study provides a systematic approach to evaluate the required relative vertical accuracy and spatial resolution of current and future satellite-based altimeters within the context of DEM requirements for 2-D floodplain hydrodynamic models. A case study is presented for the Atchafalaya Basin with a model domain of 1190 km2. The approach analyzes the sensitivity of modeled floodplain water elevation and velocity to typical satellite-based DEM grid-box scale and vertical error, using a previously calibrated version of the physically-based flood inundation model (LISFLOOD-ACC). Results indicate a trade-off relationship between DEM relative vertical error and grid-box size. Higher resolution models are the most sensitive to vertical accuracy, but the impact diminishes at coarser resolutions because of spatial averaging. The results provide guidance to engineers and scientists when defining the observation scales of future altimetry missions such as the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission from the perspective of numerical modeling requirements for large floodplains of O[103] km2 and greater. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:46:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-17fb980839a844759208ec5ed5f9e01d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T19:46:41Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-17fb980839a844759208ec5ed5f9e01d2022-12-22T04:06:25ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922015-06-01767938795810.3390/rs70607938rs70607938Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya BasinHahn Chul Jung0Michael F. Jasinski1Science Systems and Applications, Inc. (SSAI), 10210 Greenbelt Road, Lanham, MD 20706, USAHydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, 8800 Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USAThe hydrodynamics of low-lying riverine floodplains and wetlands play a critical role in hydrology and ecosystem processes. Because small topographic features affect floodplain storage and flow velocity, a hydrodynamic model setup of these regions imposes more stringent requirements on the input Digital Elevation Model (DEM) compared to upland regions with comparatively high slopes. This current study provides a systematic approach to evaluate the required relative vertical accuracy and spatial resolution of current and future satellite-based altimeters within the context of DEM requirements for 2-D floodplain hydrodynamic models. A case study is presented for the Atchafalaya Basin with a model domain of 1190 km2. The approach analyzes the sensitivity of modeled floodplain water elevation and velocity to typical satellite-based DEM grid-box scale and vertical error, using a previously calibrated version of the physically-based flood inundation model (LISFLOOD-ACC). Results indicate a trade-off relationship between DEM relative vertical error and grid-box size. Higher resolution models are the most sensitive to vertical accuracy, but the impact diminishes at coarser resolutions because of spatial averaging. The results provide guidance to engineers and scientists when defining the observation scales of future altimetry missions such as the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission from the perspective of numerical modeling requirements for large floodplains of O[103] km2 and greater.http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/7/6/7938Atchafalayadigital elevation modelfloodplainhydrodynamic modelSurface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission |
| spellingShingle | Hahn Chul Jung Michael F. Jasinski Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin Remote Sensing Atchafalaya digital elevation model floodplain hydrodynamic model Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission |
| title | Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin |
| title_full | Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin |
| title_fullStr | Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin |
| title_short | Sensitivity of a Floodplain Hydrodynamic Model to Satellite-Based DEM Scale and Accuracy: Case Study—The Atchafalaya Basin |
| title_sort | sensitivity of a floodplain hydrodynamic model to satellite based dem scale and accuracy case study the atchafalaya basin |
| topic | Atchafalaya digital elevation model floodplain hydrodynamic model Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/7/6/7938 |
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