Abstract
ABSTRACT Northeast Brazil is one of the most populated semiarid regions in the world. The region is highly dependent on reservoirs for human water supply, irrigation, industry, and livestock. The objective of this study was to validate water level time series from the satellites Envisat, SARAL, Sentinel-3A/-3B, Jason-2/-3 in small reservoirs in Northeast Brazil. In total, we evaluated the water level time series of 20 reservoirs. The Sentinel-3B outperforms the other altimeters with a maximum RMSE of 0.21 m. In seven reservoirs with updated depth-area-volume curves, the altimetric water level was used to calculate the corresponding volume. The obtained volume was then compared to the volume given by the same curve by using in situ stage. Our investigations showed that, in the case of small reservoirs, the precision of water level time series derived from satellite altimetry is mainly governed by the seasonal variability of the water storage especially at the end of the 2012-2017 drought period.
Highlights
Reservoirs play a crucial role in the water supply for both urban and rural populations in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil (NEB)
SARAL/AltiKa is the only mission operating at Ka-band, offering a higher along-track resolution with respect to the pulse-limited altimeters (e.g. Envisat, Jason-2, and Jason-3)
The sections present the performance of the altimetry missions and the results concerning lakes influenced by environmental aspects
Summary
Reservoirs play a crucial role in the water supply for both urban and rural populations in the semiarid region of Northeast Brazil (NEB). Some studies have shown the role of small and medium-sized reservoirs in the water supply in dispersed communities of the semiarid region in the NEB (Alexandre, 2012; Toledo et al, 2014). These are especially necessary for watersheds where crystalline geology prevails, in contrast to sedimentary geology. The presence of reservoirs in the NEB has disadvantages such as the favoring of the process of evaporation, which can reach around 30% of the reservoir inflow (de Araújo et al, 2006)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
