Reconstruction of the currents structure in the Kuibyshev Reservoir using satellite data and field measurements

Abstract

This paper is devoted to a series of the first field subsatellite experiments conducted in the waters of the Kuibyshev Reservoir (Kama estuary) in 2023. Simultaneously with ship-based measurements of current and wind fields, as well as chlorophyll-a concentration, two high-spatial-resolution satellite scanners surveyed the study area of the reservoir. From sequential images, current fields were reconstructed using the standard maximum cross-correlation (MCC) method, which were then compared with measurements from the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP). In certain parts of the water area, satisfactory agreement was obtained between the reconstructed currents and direct measurement current data. And in those parts of the water area where a significant discrepancy between the ADCP and MCC data was recorded, the possible reasons for the discrepancies were analyzed. Preliminary estimates of the parameters that have a significant impact on the possibility of reconstructing currents using the MCC method in inland eutrophicated water bodies have been made, and some limitations of the MCC method as a whole have been identified. Possible ways of further development of the method are analyzed.