Title: Volume determination of lake Tana using bathymetry and altimetry

This application and special course is focussing on the use of bathymetric information, collected over a lake / reservoir and how to integrate this information with observations and those from altimeters. Use is made of Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission data (at 1 arc-sec resolution) to derive initial lake extent which is compared to satellite observations during SRTM data acquisition.

The exercise is composed of various components. Firstly the altimeter data collected over the lake / reservoir is reviewed, subsequently the SRTM derived elevation model is processed and the lake level mask is extracted. This mask is compared to a modified normalized water index (MNDWI) map derived from satellite image acquired at about the same time of collection of the SRTM DEM.

Subsequently the bathymetric observations are processed, incorporating the water body extent of the extracted MNDWI map. The interpolated bathymetric information is integrated into the SRTM DEM and various lake extent maps for different water levels are computed.

Once the extent maps are available these are transformed into water body depth maps and allowing the calculation of statistics, like area, depth versus volume. A regression analysis allows linking the volume(s) calculated to the altimeter observations. Subsequently the time series of altimeter observations can be transformed into lake / reservoir volumes.

Category: Application and Special Courses — The objective of these application and special courses is to provide more advanced exercises for students to be conducted independently. Exercises consist of an overview presentation and relevant literature for independent study. The courses utilize open and free software utilities as well as different types of Remote Sensing / GIS and In-situ data-sets and have a step by step exercise description. After completion of the application and special course the results obtained by the student should be submitted in a short / concise report.

For course developers, note template to be used "EENSAT_Application_Special_Course_Template.docx"

Section 1
  Announcements
  Link to resources
Description of the Application
  Introduction to the application
  Integration of bathymetry, SRTM, altimeter and satellite observations
  Literature Resources