Estimations of River Discharge of the Congo and Orinoco Basins using Gravity-based Remote Sensing Technique

초록

River discharge is a crucial indicator of climate change and requires accurate and continuous estimation for effective water resource management and environmental monitoring. This study used satellite gravimetry data to estimate river discharge in major basins with high discharge volumes, specifically the Congo and Orinoco basins. By enhancing the spatial resolution of gravity data through advanced post-processing techniques, including forward modeling and river routing schemes, we effectively detected changes in the water mass stored within river channels. Additionally, signals from surrounding regions were statistically removed using the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis to isolate river-specific discharge signals. These refined signals were then converted into river discharge data through seasonal calibration using the modeled discharge data. Our results demonstrate that this method yields accurate and reliable discharge estimates comparable to in-situ measurements from gauge stations, even without ground-based surveys such as an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) field campaigns. This research highlights the significant potential of satellite-based gravity data as an alternative to traditional ground surveys, providing practical information on the hydrological status of regions associated with large-scale river systems.

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