Sensitivity analysis of water depth determination

Abstract

In recent years analytical inversion algorithms have been developed which allow the determination of a number of shallow water parameters from remote sensing reflectance spectra. Such an inversion scheme, based on analytic equations adjusted to Hydrolight simulations using optical properties from Lake Constance, is used to determine the accuracy of water depth determination. Accuracy depends on geometry and on properties of sensor, water column and bottom. The influence of the following parameters is investigated: sensor noise, radiometric resolution, spectral sampling interval, spectral range, sun zenith angle, viewing angle, phytoplankton concentration, suspended matter concentration, Gelbstoff concentration, and last not least water depth itself. The ranges are derived which enable water depth determination to an accuracy of ±10 %.