Study progress in the river hydrologic remote sensing technique and its application on the Tibetan Plateau
Rivers are integral to the water cycle,underpinning human development,ecological health,and regional climate stability.Recently,global warming,glacial melt,and recurring hydrological disasters have intensified disturbances in river systems,necessitating broad-scale monitoring of complex hydrological changes.While traditional field measurements are valuable,limitations in their spatial and temporal coverage call for alternative approaches.With the advancement of sensor technology and the proliferation of satellite platforms,(satellite)remote sensing has emerged as a pivotal method for contemporary river hydrology monitoring.Compared with hydrological field measurements,it offers remarkable advantages in terms of real-time data acquisition,vast spatial coverage,and reduced economic costs.Various remote sensing monitoring techniques have been extensively applied to monitor river characteristics,such as area/width,water level fluctuations,runoff estimation,and forming diverse-scale remote sensing products of hydrological elements.This study reviews various monitoring techniques for river hydrological variables using optical or radar imaging and satellite altimetry.It analyzes the latest research progress in the hydrologic variables,encompassing river width,water area,water level,runoff,and their changes.Additionally,the spatial scale and feasibility of previous literature are thoroughly discussed.The Tibetan Plateau,known as the"Roof of the World,"is one of the regions with a serious shortage of in situ hydrological monitoring data,despite being the source of major rivers in Asia.The application of remote sensing technology for river hydrological monitoring on the Tibetan Plateau encounters challenges in data sharing,pronounced spatial and temporal heterogeneity of hydrological processes,and intricate response characteristics to a warming and humidification climate.This study begins by examining the main satellite remote sensing data sources and methods used to monitor various hydrological elements of rivers.It summarizes the current research progress in river hydrology monitoring using remote sensing technologies and explores future development opportunities.The review also addresses the advancements and challenges of hydrological remote sensing techniques specifically applied to river monitoring on the Tibetan Plateau.Several persistent issues in river hydrological remote sensing development have been identified:(1)The accuracy of extracting river area and width in regions with complex topography is severely affected by mixed pixels and spectral similarities.(2)In areas with sparse or no hydrological stations,assessing remote sensing data's quality and potential applications remains challenging.(3)Comprehensive monitoring and studies on the spatial and temporal patterns of hydrological changes in the inland flow areas of the Tibetan Plateau are lacking.Future research directions for remote sensing of river hydrology are outlined as follows:(1)Multisource remote sensing data must be integrated,and the technologies and their applications must be enhanced for hydrological monitoring.(2)Universally applicable remote sensing algorithms for river hydrology must be optimized for innovation.These priorities aim to address the critical challenges in hydrological remote sensing and enhance the capability and accuracy of monitoring systems,particularly in complex and underserved regions,such as the Tibetan Plateau.This study aims to promote the deepening of river hydrology research on the Tibetan Plateau region,providing more accurate and scientific-technical support for practical water resource management and policy-making.
万方数据
维普
