Flood monitoring using microwave passive remote sensing (AMSR-E) in part of the Brahmaputra basin, India

In this work, Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer Earth Observing System (AMSR-E) signatures were analysed over some critical sites in Lakhimpur District in Brahmaputra basin, India, characterized by a high frequency of flooding events. The site is mostly covered by paddy fields. Results obtained were compared with water level measurements in three stations close to the main channel of the river. Information about surface temperature, which allowed us to estimate the emissivity, was also available. Investigations were carried out at the C, X, and K-a bands of the AMSR-E channel. A multi-frequency analysis indicated that the X band would represent a good compromise between resolution and sensitivity requirements, while at the C band the resolution was too coarse and at the K-a band the signatures were affected by raindrops. Samples collected during rain were eliminated using techniques based on the 89.0GHz channel. However, even after this correction, the K-a band showed poor sensitivity due to higher attenuation by vegetation. The correlations between different pairs of variables, viz. polarization index (PI), water level (WL), and fractional water surface area (F-WS), were also investigated. At the X band, the water level was better correlated with the PI than with emissivity and other parameters defined in the literature. The correlation was good in cases of slow variation in WL. In cases of sudden variation in the river, the PI followed the variations with some time delay related to the propagation of water within the covered AMSR-E pixel.