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Coastal Altimetry pp 19–50Cite as

From Research to Operations: The USDA Global Reservoir and Lake Monitor

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Abstract

The Global Reservoir and Lake Monitor (GRLM) records variations in surface water height for approximately 70 lakes and reservoirs worldwide using a combination of satellite radar altimetry data sets. The project was initiated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) in cooperation with the National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s (NASA) Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the University of Maryland (UMD). On-line since the end of 2003, the program focuses on the delivery of near-real-time products within an operational framework and exists within the USDA’s decision support system (DSS) through the larger cooperative USDA/NASA Global Agricultural Monitoring (GLAM) program. Currently, near-real-time products are derived from the NASA/Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) Jason-1 mission (post-2002) with archival products derived from the NASA/CNES TOPEX/Poseidon mission (1992–2002) and the US Naval Research Lab’s (NRL) Geosat follow-on (GFO) mission (2000–2008). Validation exercises show that the products vary in accuracy from a few centimeters RMS (root mean square) to several tens of centimeters RMS depending on the target size and surface wave conditions. On a weekly basis, new satellite data are retrieved and products updated. Output is in the form of graphs and text files with web links to other imaging and information resources. The next phase of the program sees an expansion to over 500 lakes and reservoirs via the incorporation of products derived from the European Space Agency (ESA) remote sensing satellites (ERS-1 and ERS-2, 1992–2008) and the ESA environmental satellite ENVISAT (post-2002). Near-real-time products will also be continued via data from the follow-on Jason-2 mission (post-2009). The USDA/FAS utilize the products for irrigation potential considerations and as general indicators of drought and high-water conditions. The monitoring system thus has relevance to water resources management and agriculture efficiency at both the national and international level.

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Abbreviations

ALT:

NASA Radar Altimeter

AVISO:

Archiving, Validation and Interpretation of Satellite Oceanographic data

CNES:

Centre National d’Études Spatiales

CSR:

Center for Space Research (University of Texas, Austin)

DDP:

Defect Detection and Prevention

DESDynI:

Deformation, Ecosystem Structure and Dynamics of Ice

DORIS:

Doppler Orbit Determination Radiopositioning Integrated on Satellite

DSS:

Decision Support System

Envisat:

Environmental Satellite

ERS:

European Remote Sensing Satellite

ESA:

European Space Agency

ESRI:

Environmental Systems Research Institute

EUMETSAT:

European Org. for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites

FAS:

Foreign Agricultural Service

FEWS:

Famine Early Warning Systems

GDR:

Geophysical Data Record

GEO:

United States Group on Earth Observations

GEOSS:

Global Earth Observation System of Systems

GFO:

Geosat Follow-On Mission

GIM:

Global Ionospheric Map

GLAM:

Global Agricultural Monitoring Program

GLIN:

Great Lakes Information Network

GPS:

Global Positioning System

GRACE:

Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment

GRLM:

Global Reservoir and Lake Monitor

GSFC:

Goddard Space Flight Center

GUI:

Graphical User Interface

ICESat:

Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite

IGDR:

Intermediate Geophysical Data Record

IPCC:

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

IRI:

International Reference Ionosphere Model

ISRO:

Indian Space Research Organization

ISS:

Integrated Systems Solution

ITRF:

International Terrestrial Reference Frame

ITSS:

Information Technology and Scientific Services

JPL:

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

LAD:

Least Absolute Deviation

LakeNet:

World Lakes Network

LEGOS:

Laboratoire d’Études en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales

MODIS:

MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer

MOE:

Medium Precision Orbit Ephemerides

NASA:

National Aeronautic and Space Administration

NCEP:

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

NGA:

National Geospatial Intelligence Agency

NOAA:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOGAPS:

Navy Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System

NRC:

National Research Council

NRL:

Naval Research Lab

OGA:

Office of Global Analysis

OMB:

Office of Management and Budget

OSTM:

Ocean Surface Topography Mission

POE:

Precise Orbit Ephemerides

RMS:

Root Mean Square

SARAL:

Satellite with ARgos and ALtika

SDR:

Sensor Data Record

SGT:

Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies company

SLR:

Satellite Laser Ranging

SSALT:

Solid-State ALTimeter

SWOT:

Surface Water and Ocean Topography

T/P:

TOPEX/Poseidon

TRMM:

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission

UMD:

University of Maryland

USAID:

United States Agency for International Development

USDA:

United States Department of Agriculture

USGS:

United States Geological Survey

WAOB:

World Agriculture Outlook Board

WAP:

World Agriculture Production

WASDE:

World Agriculture Supply and Demand Estimate

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the USDA/FAS/OGA and NASA grants NNS06AA15G, NNX08AM72G, NNX08AT88G and NASA/JPL sub-award 4–33637(UMD) for supporting this program. Acknowledgment also goes to NASA/PODAAC, CNES/AVISO, LEGOS, NOAA, ESA UK-PAF and ESA F-PAC, for provision of the T/P, Jason-1, Jason-2, GFO, ERS and Envisat satellite altimetric data sets.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA

    C. Birkett

  2. International Production Assessments Branch, Office of Global Analysis, Foreign Agricultural Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC, USA

    C. Reynolds & B. Doorn

  3. SGT, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    B. Beckley

Authors
  1. C. Birkett
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  2. C. Reynolds
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  3. B. Beckley
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  4. B. Doorn
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to C. Birkett .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Ist. Biofisica, CNR Pisa, Via G. Moruzzi 1, Pisa, 56124, Italy

    Stefano Vignudelli

  2. , P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Nakhimovsky Pr. 36, Moscow, 117997, Russian Federation

    Andrey G. Kostianoy

  3. Lab. Satellite Oceanography, Ocean Observing & Climate Res. Group, National Oceanography Centre, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH, United Kingdom

    Paolo Cipollini

  4. Directorate of Earth Observation Program, European Space Agency /ESRIN, Via Galileo Galilei, Frascati (Roma), 00044, Italy

    Jérôme Benveniste

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Birkett, C., Reynolds, C., Beckley, B., Doorn, B. (2011). From Research to Operations: The USDA Global Reservoir and Lake Monitor. In: Vignudelli, S., Kostianoy, A., Cipollini, P., Benveniste, J. (eds) Coastal Altimetry. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-12796-0_2

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