Project Number: 1265-13610-027-34
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: May 01, 2004
End Date: Aug 31, 2007

Objective:
This research seeks to develop flood forecasting as a viable application for EOS-era remote sensing products through the integration of AQUA satellite products with existing hydrologic models. The investigators believe that this research would lead to development of tools to improve the reliability of flood forecasts and reduce the social and agricultural impacts of flooding events.

Approach:
Low-frequency (<10 GHz) radiometry from space has demonstrated considerable promise for the large-scale retrieval of surface soil moisture information that is potentially useful for flood forecasting. In particular, the 6.9 AMSR-E channel aboard the EOS AQUA satellite should provide the best operational retrievals of large-scale soil moisture to date. We propose to use remotely-sensed microwave observations from AMSR-E to monitor near-surface soil moisture and enhance the predictability of surface runoff generation within large-scale (>250,000km 2) basins. Enhancements to flood forecasting skills are likely to require the efficient merging of land surface model predictions with spaceborne surface soil moisture retrievals within the context of a data assimilation system. A key component of the proposal will be the design and demonstration of the overall data assimilation system.