River Flow Measurements Utilizing UAV-Based Surface Velocimetry and Bathymetry Coupled with Sonar

Water velocity and discharge are essential parameters for monitoring water resources sustainably. Datasets acquired from Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) allow for river monitoring at high spatial and temporal resolution, and may be the only alternative in areas that are difficult to access. Image or...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHydrology Vol. 9; no. 8; p. 148
Main Authors Koutalakis, Paschalis, Zaimes, George N.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Basel MDPI AG 01.08.2022
Subjects
Aquatic resources
Bathymeters
Bathymetry
Calibration
Digital cameras
Drone aircraft
Environmental aspects
Environmental monitoring
Flow measurement
Flow velocity
Greece
hydrologic monitoring
Hydrology
image-based velocimetry
Laboratories
Methods
Monitoring
Remote sensing
river
River flow
Rivers
Sonar
Stream discharge
Stream flow
Streamflow
Surface velocity
Temporal resolution
Unmanned aerial vehicles
Velocimetry
Velocity
Velocity measurement
Water discharge
Water monitoring
Water resources
Water velocity
Greece
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Summary:Water velocity and discharge are essential parameters for monitoring water resources sustainably. Datasets acquired from Unoccupied Aerial Systems (UAS) allow for river monitoring at high spatial and temporal resolution, and may be the only alternative in areas that are difficult to access. Image or video-based methods for river flow monitoring have become very popular since they are not time-consuming or expensive in contrast to traditional methods. This study presents a non-contact methodology to estimate streamflow based on data collected from UAS. Both surface velocity and river geometry are measured directly in field conditions via the UAS while streamflow is estimated with a new technique. Specifically, surface velocity is estimated by using image-based velocimetry software while river bathymetry is measured with a floating sonar, tethered like a pendulum to the UAV. Traditional field measurements were collected along the same cross-section of the Aggitis River in Greece in order to assess the accuracy of the remotely sensed velocities, depths, and discharges. Overall, the new technique is very promising for providing accurate UAV-based streamflow results compared to the field data.
ISSN:2306-5338
2306-5338
DOI:10.3390/hydrology9080148