Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations
Extreme rainfall, induced by severe weather events, such as hurricanes, impacts wetlands because rapid water-depth increases can lead to flora and fauna mortality. This study developed an innovative algorithm to detect significant water-depth increases (SWDI, defined as water-depth increases above a...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/6/1415 |
| _version_ | 1827625974517202944 |
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| author | Boya Zhang Shimon Wdowinski Daniel Gann |
| author_facet | Boya Zhang Shimon Wdowinski Daniel Gann |
| author_sort | Boya Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Extreme rainfall, induced by severe weather events, such as hurricanes, impacts wetlands because rapid water-depth increases can lead to flora and fauna mortality. This study developed an innovative algorithm to detect significant water-depth increases (SWDI, defined as water-depth increases above a threshold) in wetlands, using Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter. We used Hurricane Irma as an example that made landfall in the south Florida Everglades wetlands in September 2017 and produced tremendous rainfall. The algorithm detects SWDI for during- and post-event SAR acquisition dates, using pre-event water-depth as a baseline. The algorithm calculates Normalized Difference Backscatter Index (NDBI), using pre-, during-, and post-event backscatter, at a 20-m SAR resolution, as an indicator of the likelihood of SWDI, and detects SWDI using all NDBI values in a 400-m resolution pixel. The algorithm successfully detected large SWDI areas for the during-event date and progressive expansion of non-SWDI areas (water-depth differences less than the threshold) for five post-event dates in the following two months. The algorithm achieved good performance in both ‘herbaceous dominant’ and ‘trees embedded within herbaceous matrix’ land covers, with an overall accuracy of 81%. This study provides a solution for accurate mapping of SWDI and can be used in global wetlands, vulnerable to extreme rainfall. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:46:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c89807bc4d95482091939b7683f7f44f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T12:46:11Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-c89807bc4d95482091939b7683f7f44f2023-11-30T22:12:26ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-03-01146141510.3390/rs14061415Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter ObservationsBoya Zhang0Shimon Wdowinski1Daniel Gann2Institute of Environment, Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USAInstitute of Environment, Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USAInstitute of Environment, Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USAExtreme rainfall, induced by severe weather events, such as hurricanes, impacts wetlands because rapid water-depth increases can lead to flora and fauna mortality. This study developed an innovative algorithm to detect significant water-depth increases (SWDI, defined as water-depth increases above a threshold) in wetlands, using Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter. We used Hurricane Irma as an example that made landfall in the south Florida Everglades wetlands in September 2017 and produced tremendous rainfall. The algorithm detects SWDI for during- and post-event SAR acquisition dates, using pre-event water-depth as a baseline. The algorithm calculates Normalized Difference Backscatter Index (NDBI), using pre-, during-, and post-event backscatter, at a 20-m SAR resolution, as an indicator of the likelihood of SWDI, and detects SWDI using all NDBI values in a 400-m resolution pixel. The algorithm successfully detected large SWDI areas for the during-event date and progressive expansion of non-SWDI areas (water-depth differences less than the threshold) for five post-event dates in the following two months. The algorithm achieved good performance in both ‘herbaceous dominant’ and ‘trees embedded within herbaceous matrix’ land covers, with an overall accuracy of 81%. This study provides a solution for accurate mapping of SWDI and can be used in global wetlands, vulnerable to extreme rainfall.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/6/1415significant water depth increaseSAR backscatterwetlandsnormalized difference backscatter index (NDBI)EvergladesHurricane Irma |
| spellingShingle | Boya Zhang Shimon Wdowinski Daniel Gann Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations Remote Sensing significant water depth increase SAR backscatter wetlands normalized difference backscatter index (NDBI) Everglades Hurricane Irma |
| title | Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations |
| title_full | Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations |
| title_fullStr | Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations |
| title_short | Space-Based Detection of Significant Water-Depth Increase Induced by Hurricane Irma in the Everglades Wetlands Using Sentinel-1 SAR Backscatter Observations |
| title_sort | space based detection of significant water depth increase induced by hurricane irma in the everglades wetlands using sentinel 1 sar backscatter observations |
| topic | significant water depth increase SAR backscatter wetlands normalized difference backscatter index (NDBI) Everglades Hurricane Irma |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/6/1415 |
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