The river flowed for about five days, eventually reaching the sea at Walvis Bay on the African east coast – this was the first time it reached as far as the ocean in more than 10 years.Īs part of the research, scientists first use information on vegetation growth and soil moisture collected by the multispectral imager of Copernicus Sentinel-2 to identify areas of interest along the riverbed. The flood was triggered by heavy rains that fell a month earlier on the highlands to the east of the Kuiseb. įocusing on a major flooding event that occurred in January 2021, the scientists set out to explore the dynamics of the river and how it replenishes nearby channels that are hidden under surface sediment. This work builds on previous research into the use of remote sensing data to characterise the Kuiseb. To advance these efforts, scientists at the University of Bordeaux are using an innovative method that combines several types of Earth observation data with in-situ measurements. The Kuiseb flows after intense rainfall event The economic and environmental importance of ephemeral rivers is set to further rise in the future, as climate change drives an increase in their abundance – and, as a result, there is a growing need to improve understanding of these watercourses. This phenomenon recharges groundwater and gives rise to a narrow oasis that snakes across the land, sustaining local communities and supporting thriving ecosystems that host a diverse range of species. The Kuiseb is an ephemeral river, meaning that it only flows for short periods in response to flooding provoked by heavy rains. It aims to draw on data delivered by Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2 and Sentinel-3 of the European Union’s Copernicus Programme. The research – which was presented this week at ESA’s Living Planet Symposium in Bonn, Germany – focuses on the Kuiseb, a river in the central-west region of the country that cuts through the Namib desert. They hope this will deliver insight to help improve water security in regions that are experiencing increasing periods of drought due to rising global temperatures.
Remote sensing scientists are using data from several Copernicus Sentinel missions to probe the behaviour of a transient Namibian river that serves as a crucial lifeline to those who live in the arid landscape through which it flows.
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