Retrieval of Key Hydrological Parameters in the Yellow River Basin Using Remote Sensing Technique

Precipitation evapotranspiration and runoff are three key parameters of regional water balance. Problems exist in the traditional methods for calculating such factors , such as explaining of the geographic rationality of spatial interpolating methods and lacking of enough observation stations in many important area for bad natural conditions. With the development of modern spatial info-techniques, new efficient shifts arose for traditional studies. Guided by theories on energy flow and materials exchange within Soil-Atmosphere-Plant Continuant (SPAC), retrieval models of key hydrological parameters were established in the Yellow River basin using CMS-5 and FengYun-2 meteorological satellite data. Precipitation and evapotranspiration were then estimated: (1) Estimating tile amount of solar energy that is absorbed by the ground with surface reflectivity, which is measured in the visible wavelength band (VIS): (2) Assessing the partitioning of the absorbed energy between sensible and latent heat with the surface temperature, which was measured in the thermal infrared band (TIR), the latent heat representing the evapotranspiration of water; (3) Clouds are identified and cloud top levels are classified using both VIS and TIR data. Hereafter precipitation will be calculated pixel by pixel with retrieval model. Daily results are first obtained, which are then processed to decade, monthly and yearly products. Precipitation model has been has been and tested with ground truth data; meanwhile, the evapotranspiration result has been verified with Large Aperture Scintillometry (LAS) presented by Wageningen University of the Netherlands. Further studies may concentrate on the application of models, i.e., establish a hydrological model of the Yellow river basin to make the accurate estimation of river volume and even monitor the whole hydrological progress.