ABSTRACT:

The recently launched Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite will simultaneously measure river surface water widths, elevations, and slopes. These novel observations combined with assumptions for unobserved bathymetry and roughness enable the derivation of river discharge. Derived discharge data will not be available until the Fall of 2023, despite the satellite having completed approximately 6 months of observations for validation and calibration and transitioning into the nominal orbit phase. SWOT has an irregular flyover frequency, ranging from roughly 1 to 10 times per 21 days. Here, we present how best to use SWOT data when it becomes live, including consideration of how best to accommodate or utilize the irregular flyover frequency of SWOT as it intersects with river reaches. We investigate the predicted capabilities of SWOT for several major rivers using synthetic/theoretical SWOT time series data and evaluate how the characteristics of river discharge dynamics and SWOT sampling frequency impact discharge estimates. This analysis indicates the irregular frequency of SWOT best captures the hydrology of larger, more stable, rivers but presents challenges in smaller, flashier rivers, particularly when sampling frequency decreases (i.e., falls to once per 21 days). Further, the use of SWOT discharge for quantifying constituent fluxes is considered. We provide recommendations concerning how to best use SWOT data for applications related to hydrology and biogeochemistry, including how to design studies to accommodate its irregular orbit cycle.

ABSTRACT:

This resource contains an R-markdown script that calculates river discharge using Manning's Equation, river reach characteristics derived from SWORD, and optimized parameters (e.g., surface roughness, depth below altimeter, and channel form). The code requires measured discharge data from a gage, a nearby virtual station with altimeter data, reach characteristics (width, slope, and drainage area), and ranges for which to test the surface roughness, unknown bottom values, and channel form. The output of this code is the resulting KGE (e.g., how well the derived discharge matches the measured discharge). This code and its associated input files serve as the resources for the study, "Deriving river discharge using remotely sensed water surface characteristics and satellite altimetry in the Mississippi River Basin" (https://doi.org/10.3390/rs14153541).