SES-05. Potential for the SWOT Mission and Large Field Datasets to Advance Fluvial Geomorphology and Applied Hydraulics: Exploring New Use Cases

Abstract
The upcoming Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission will provide first-of-its-kind satellite swath altimetry with simultaneous surface-water elevations and water extent that will greatly advance global hydrology, particularly in locations lacking gage data. SWOT also has potential to advance two related fields, fluvial geomorphology and applied hydraulics, for which SWOT products have not been explored as thoroughly. Particularly in locations that have gage data, there are a number of ways that SWOT data could be beneficial, including: developing and calibrating large-scale hydraulic models (an expensive proposition at present), determining hydraulic resistance at existing gage locations, creating bathymetry for hydraulic models, and calculating depth-slope products to estimate large-scale sediment transport rates. Using recent AirSWOT data collections in 2015 and 2017, contemporary water- and ground-surface measurements, and simulated SWOT data, this poster explores the potential utility of SWOT for these applications within the fields of fluvial geomorphology and applied hydraulics.