Influence of the spatial resolution of Digital Elevation Models on water-balance estimations in temporary shallow lakes

Many shallow lakes are strongly degraded and their hydroecological functioning has been altered. At the same time, their rate of disappearance is remarkably high compared to other ecosystem types. Moreover, due to their relatively small size and shallow depth these lakes are highly sensitive to mete...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Sánchez Emeterio, Gema, Sánchez Ramos, David, Aragonés González, David Graciano, Doña, Carolina, Camacho, Antonio
Format: article
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha
Repository:RUIdeRA. Repositorio Institucional de la UCLM
OAI Identifier:oai:ruidera.uclm.es:10578/36397
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.131098
https://hdl.handle.net/10578/36397
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
Hydrological pattern
Mapping Bathymetry
Shallow Lakes
Water-Balance
Description
Summary:Many shallow lakes are strongly degraded and their hydroecological functioning has been altered. At the same time, their rate of disappearance is remarkably high compared to other ecosystem types. Moreover, due to their relatively small size and shallow depth these lakes are highly sensitive to meteorological variability, making them highly vulnerable to climate change. The accurate estimation of their water balance is key to identifying proper management strategies. To carefully model the water balance, it is necessary to use a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of a high-enough spatial resolution to understand the bathymetric relationships of the basin; however, it is not always possible to generate DEMs with field data. Even when DEMs are available, it is still unclear what spatial resolution is adequate to obtain an accurate water balance in shallow lakes. The aim of this work was to analyze the influence that bathymetries from different DEMs may have on shallow lake-water-balance estimations, using Lake Alcahozo (central Spain) as a case study. To do this, hydrological balances were developed with Lidar-derived DEMs with different spatial resolutions, and these balances were compared with one developed from bathymetric field data. The hydrological models obtained were calibrated with limnimetric measurements and validated with estimates of flooded areas calculated via remote-sensing imagery.