Topic S4: high resolution remote sensing of sediment source dynamics
Complementary Chinese topic: TLS ground truthing of sediment sources
Research objectives
Using interferometric analysis of X-band TerraSAR imagery it is the aim of S4 to a) provide a catchment-wide DEM with 10 m resolution to be used as a common base map for all projects and b) monitor the land surface dynamics in the two selected subcachtments (SC1, SC2). The catchment-wide DEM will be derived from archived TDX stripmap acquisitions and supplemented with a backscatter, coherence and optical imagery (Rapid-Eye Science Archive, RESA) derived land surface classification. The periodic land surface monitoring is based on specific TerraSAR-X (TerraSAR-NG) repeat-pass spotlight acquisitions (9 x 2 per site and year) targeting 6 sites covering 5 x 10 km² each. This approach is expected to provide high resolution spatially distributed information about land cover and sediment source dynamics including hotspots of sediment mobilization (soil and stream bank erosion and mass movement sites) and their connectivity to the drainage system. The applicability of Permanent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) to quantify the volume of erosion and in-stream entrainment and re-deposition in the braided river beds running dry in late autumn will be investigated.
Sino-German complementarity of research
In cooperation with our ITP partners we will conduct field work to validate the land surface classification. Complementary to the remote sensing monitoring approach of the FSUJ group, our ITP partners will conduct a ground based periodic monitoring of selected erosion hotspots within the two subcatchments using the Terrestrial Laserscanner (TLS) available at FSUJ. This will provide highly accurate and very high resolution (~ 0.05 m) ground truething covering considerable areas (4 x ~ 0.5 km²) of the very open terrain for the remote sensing approach and allows for an error assessment of the remote sensing-based quantifications of sediment source dynamics. In turn, the remote sensing approach supports the upscaling of the TLS monitoring results.
Supervisors:
Prof. Dr. Christiane Schmullius, FSU Jena
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Niemeier, TU Braunschweig
Prof. Dr. Yao Tandong, ITP