GLOBAL MONITORING OF WATER STORAGE IN LAREGE LAKES AND RESERVOIRS BY SATELLITE OBSERVATIOS

Feasibility of global monitoring of water storage in large lakes and reservoirs by satellite monitoring method combined satellite images and altimeter data is analyzed. In this study, variation of water storage in 34 large lakes and reservoirs are monitored globally by using satellite images obtained from TERRA/MODIS and satellite altimetry data obtained from TOPEX/POSEIDON MGDR-B. The results show that the satellite-based monitoring method can provide information on seasonal to inter-annual variability of water storage in large lakes and reservoirs. The method used in this study utilizes only satellite data to estimate reservoir storage. This approach is capable of contributing greatly to integrated water resources management and water use quantification in large-scale regions-especially areas that have inadequate ground observations, making it very useful for determining the impact of reservoirs in the water cycle of large scale regions.