Print Email Facebook Twitter Water Level Monitoring in the Karnali River, Nepal Title Water Level Monitoring in the Karnali River, Nepal: Evaluating Satellite SAR Altimetry Techniques through Field Observations Author de Jong, Mo (TU Delft Civil Engineering & Geosciences) Contributor Bogaard, T.A. (mentor) Slobbe, D.C. (mentor) Blom, A. (mentor) Degree granting institution Delft University of Technology Programme Water Management Project Save the Tigers, Save the Grasslands, Save the Water! Date 2023-09-13 Abstract Rivers play a crucial role in shaping landscapes and supporting ecosystems. This is demonstrated by the tiger habitats in and around Bardia National Park in West-Nepal, which rely on the Karnali River. This study contributes to a larger effort aimed at sustainably managing these tiger habitats. Monitoring the rivers in this remote area is challenging, suggesting a role for remote sensing. An exploration is presented regarding the potential of satellite synthetic aperture radar altimetry (sat-SARA) for monitoring rivers situated in diverse topographic landscapes. Focusing on the Bheri, Karnali, and Geruwa Rivers, the applicability of sat-SARA techniques for water level monitoring, multiple channel identification, and channel activation detection was evaluated. For deriving water surface heights from sat-SARA data, an empirical Gaussian retracker was used. The findings are promising. While resulting water level variations align with field observations, complementary in-situ measurements are imperative for a comprehensive evaluation. Additionally, the study reveals the potential for identifying multiple channels from sat-SARA return signals, extending to channel classification and detecting channel activation. Leveraging the labour-intensive nature of sat-SARA data processing, the technique holds great promise for monitoring rivers in remote and difficult-to-access landscapes. Therewith, this study contributes to advancing the understanding of the hydrodynamics of the Lower Karnali River and opens doors for sat-SARA applications for river monitoring in challenging terrains. Subject AltimetryHydrologysatellite SAR altimetryHydrodynamicsRemote SensingFieldworkWater levelsWater surface heights To reference this document use: http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1980aa85-10de-4b0b-8b8c-9382f40692ac Part of collection Student theses Document type master thesis Rights © 2023 Mo de Jong Files PDF MSc_Thesis_Water_Level_Mo ... deJong.pdf 224.05 MB Close viewer /islandora/object/uuid:1980aa85-10de-4b0b-8b8c-9382f40692ac/datastream/OBJ/view