Researchers at ERSC will undertake a new three-year NASA project worth over $520,000 to track changing water storage and water quality in some of the world’s largest and most dynamic lakes across six continents. The team will use a multisensor approach to measure water levels, changing surface areas, and in-lake conditions such as water clarity. The results of this program are expected to lead to a better understanding of the ways in which lakes worldwide are responding to environmental stresses.
Data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS), on NASA’s ICESat satellite, will be used to measure rising and falling water levels in large lakes worldwide. At the same time, a combination of visible, infrared, and radar imaging systems will be used to record changes in the surface areas of lakes. Finally, satellite imagery will be combined with field observations to model water quality parameters in particular lakes of interest.
Contact Jon Chipmanfor more information.
More information: www.ersc.wisc.edu