Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers
The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been steadily increasing due to their ability to acquire high-precision ground elevation information at a low cost. However, these devices have limitations in estimating elevations of the water surface and submerged terrain (i.e., channel bathymetry). T...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-04-01
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| Series: | Water |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/8/1502 |
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| author | Robert Clasing Enrique Muñoz José Luis Arumí Diego Caamaño Hernán Alcayaga Yelena Medina |
| author_facet | Robert Clasing Enrique Muñoz José Luis Arumí Diego Caamaño Hernán Alcayaga Yelena Medina |
| author_sort | Robert Clasing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been steadily increasing due to their ability to acquire high-precision ground elevation information at a low cost. However, these devices have limitations in estimating elevations of the water surface and submerged terrain (i.e., channel bathymetry). Therefore, the creation of a digital terrain model (DTM) using UAVs in low-water periods means a greater dry channel surface area and thus reduces the lack of information on the wet area not appropriately measured by the UAV. Under such scenarios, UAV-DTM-derived data present an opportunity for practical engineering in estimating floods; however, the accuracy of estimations against current methods of flood estimations and design needs to be measured. The objective of this study is therefore to develop an exploratory analysis for the creation of hydraulic models of river floods using only UAV-derived topographic information. Hydraulic models were constructed based on DTMs created in (i) the traditional manner, considering the bathymetry measured with RTK-GPS and topography, and via (ii) remote sensing, which involves topography measurement with a UAV and assumes a flat bed in the part of the channel covered by water. The 1D steady-state HEC-RAS model v.5.0.3 was used to simulate floods at different return periods. The applied methodology allows a slightly conservative, efficient, economical, and safe approach for the estimation of floods in rivers, with an RMSE of 6.1, 11.8 and 12.6 cm for the Nicodahue, Bellavista and Curanilahue rivers. The approach has important implications for flood studies, as larger areas can be surveyed, and cost- and time-efficient flood estimations can be performed using affordable UAVs. Further research on this topic is necessary to estimate the limitations and precision in rivers with different morphologies and under different geographical contexts. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:26:28Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bfac49c3d28e4d3aac4e51fc98ee13b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4441 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T04:26:28Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Water |
| spelling | doaj.art-bfac49c3d28e4d3aac4e51fc98ee13b22023-11-17T21:48:04ZengMDPI AGWater2073-44412023-04-01158150210.3390/w15081502Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean RiversRobert Clasing0Enrique Muñoz1José Luis Arumí2Diego Caamaño3Hernán Alcayaga4Yelena Medina5Department of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción 4090541, ChileDepartment of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción 4090541, ChileDepartment of Water Resources, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán 3812120, ChileDepartment of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción 4090541, ChileEscuela de Ingeniería en Obras Civiles, Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago 8370109, ChileDepartment of Civil Engineering, Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción, Concepción 4090541, ChileThe use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has been steadily increasing due to their ability to acquire high-precision ground elevation information at a low cost. However, these devices have limitations in estimating elevations of the water surface and submerged terrain (i.e., channel bathymetry). Therefore, the creation of a digital terrain model (DTM) using UAVs in low-water periods means a greater dry channel surface area and thus reduces the lack of information on the wet area not appropriately measured by the UAV. Under such scenarios, UAV-DTM-derived data present an opportunity for practical engineering in estimating floods; however, the accuracy of estimations against current methods of flood estimations and design needs to be measured. The objective of this study is therefore to develop an exploratory analysis for the creation of hydraulic models of river floods using only UAV-derived topographic information. Hydraulic models were constructed based on DTMs created in (i) the traditional manner, considering the bathymetry measured with RTK-GPS and topography, and via (ii) remote sensing, which involves topography measurement with a UAV and assumes a flat bed in the part of the channel covered by water. The 1D steady-state HEC-RAS model v.5.0.3 was used to simulate floods at different return periods. The applied methodology allows a slightly conservative, efficient, economical, and safe approach for the estimation of floods in rivers, with an RMSE of 6.1, 11.8 and 12.6 cm for the Nicodahue, Bellavista and Curanilahue rivers. The approach has important implications for flood studies, as larger areas can be surveyed, and cost- and time-efficient flood estimations can be performed using affordable UAVs. Further research on this topic is necessary to estimate the limitations and precision in rivers with different morphologies and under different geographical contexts.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/8/1502UAVhydraulic modellingDTMremote sensing |
| spellingShingle | Robert Clasing Enrique Muñoz José Luis Arumí Diego Caamaño Hernán Alcayaga Yelena Medina Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers Water UAV hydraulic modelling DTM remote sensing |
| title | Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers |
| title_full | Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers |
| title_fullStr | Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers |
| title_short | Remote Sensing with UAVs for Modeling Floods: An Exploratory Approach Based on Three Chilean Rivers |
| title_sort | remote sensing with uavs for modeling floods an exploratory approach based on three chilean rivers |
| topic | UAV hydraulic modelling DTM remote sensing |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4441/15/8/1502 |
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