Author(s): N. B. Melcher; J. E. Costa; F. P. Haeni; R. T. Cheng; M. Buursink; K. R. Spicer; E. Hayes; W. J. Plant; W. C. Keller; K. Hayes
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Keywords: Radar; Streamflow; Discharge Measurements
Abstract: The United States Geological Survey and the University of Washington are collaborating on a series of experiments to determine the feasibility of using helicoptermounted radar to measure river discharge. Surface velocities are measured using a pulsed Doppler radar, and river depths are measured using ground-penetrating radar. Both radars are mounted on a helicopter and flown over the rivers in a series of approximately 1-minute passes at heights of 2–15 m. Surface velocities are converted to mean velocities, and horizontal registration of both velocity and depth measurements enabled the calculation of river discharge. The magnitude of the uncertainty in velocity and depth indicate that the method error is in the range of 5 percent. Further tests are underway to determine the feasibility of using helicopter-mounted radar to make river discharge measurements on the Alaskan North slope. The results of this work indicate that helicopter-mounted radar can make the rapid, accurate discharge measurements that are needed in remote locations and during regional floods.
Year: 2003