Estimating flooded area and mean water level using active and passive microwaves: the example of Parana River Delta floodplain

SALVIA, MARÍA MERCEDES; GRINGS, FRANCISCO MATIAS; FERRAZZOLI, PAOLO; BARRAZA, VERONICA; DOUNA, VANESA; PERNA, PABLO; BRUSCANTINI, CINTIA; KARSZENBAUM HAYDEE

HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES

COPERNICUS PUBLICATIONS

Año: 2011 vol. 15 p. 2679 - 2692

1027-5606

This paper describes a procedure to estimate both the fraction of flooded area and the mean water level in vegetated river floodplains by using a synergy of active and passive microwave signatures. In particular, C band Envisat ASAR in Wide Swath mode and AMSR-E at X, Ku and Ka band, are used. The method, which is an extension of previously developed algorithms based on passive data, exploits also model simulations of vegetation emissivity. The procedure is applied to a long flood event which occurred in the Parana River Delta from December 2009 to April 2010. Obtained results are consistent with in situ measurements of river water level.