HR: 0800h
AN: H31A-0118    [Abstracts]
TI: RivWidth: A Software Tool for the Calculation of River Width from Remotely Sensed Imagery
AU: * Pavelsky, T M
EM: pavelsky@ucla.edu
AF: UCLA Department of Geography, 1255 Bunche Hall Box 951524, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
AU: Smith, L C
EM: lsmith@geog.ucla.edu
AF: UCLA Department of Geography, 1255 Bunche Hall Box 951524, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
AB: RivWidth is an implementation in ITTVIS IDL of a new algorithm that automates the calculation of river width using raster-based classifications of inundation extent derived from remotely sensed imagery. The algorithm utilizes techniques of boundary definition to define a river centerline, derives a line segment orthogonal to this line at each centerline pixel, and then computes total river width along each orthogonal. The output of RivWidth is comparable in quality to measurements derived using manual techniques, yet generates thousands of width values continuously along an entire stream course, even in multi-channel river systems. Uncertainty in RivWidth depends principally on the quality of the water classification used as an input, though pixel resolution and the values of input parameters play lesser roles.
DE: 0520 Data analysis: algorithms and implementation
DE: 1805 Computational hydrology
DE: 1855 Remote sensing (1640)
DE: 1856 River channels (0483, 0744)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting