Department of Environment

Hydrasens

Funded by: Belgian Science Policy
Researchers: , Douglas Plaza
Promotors: Niko Verhoest, Valentijn Pauwels
Short name: HYDRASENS
Begin date: 01/12/2006
End date: 31/1/2012

Description:

The main aim of this project is to investigate how radar remote sensing of soil moisture and flood extents can be used to improve predictions of hydrologic and hydraulic models through data assimilation. This project consists is performed at 4 different laboratories (Ghent University, Université catholique de Louvain and Centre de Recherche Public-Gabriel Lippmann).

Within this 5-year project different research items can be discerned:

  • small scale soil moisture monitoring using ground penetrating radar (GPR) techniques
  • soil moisture and flood extent monitoring using space borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery using  state-of-the-art backscattering models and techniques
  • uncertainty assessment on soil moisture estimates based on possibility theory
  • coupling a hydrologic and hydraulic model for improved flood forecasting
  • implementation and development of several data assimilation techniques

The Laboratory of Hydrology and Water Management is responsible for:

  • Coordination of the project (Niko Verhoest)
  • Retrieval of soil moisture from SAR observations (Niko Verhoest, Hans Lievens)
  • Study of soil moisture scaling from remotely sensed observations (Niko Verhoest, Hans Lievens)
  • Hydrologic modelling (Valentijn Pauwels, Douglas Plaza)
  • Development of data assimilation techniques (Valentijn Pauwels, Douglas Plaza)

Partners in the project:

Bernard De Baets (UG-KERMIT), Marnik Vanclooster (UCL), Lucien Hoffmann (CRP-GL)