Multi-Satellite Approach and In-Situ Observations to Study Hydrology of Boreal Wetlands
Zakharova, Elena1; Kouraev, Alexei2; Garestier, Franck3; Cretaux, Jean-Francois4; Berge-Nguyen, Muriel4
1LEGOS/OMP, FRANCE; 2LEGOS/UPS, FRANCE; 3M2C - UMR CNRS 6143, University of Caen, FRANCE; 4LEGOS/OMP CNES, FRANCE

Zakharova E.A.1,2, Kouraev A.V.3,2, Garestier F.4, Cretaux J-F.5, Berge-Nguyen M.5

1) CNRS; LEGOS, F-31400 Toulouse, France
2) State Oceanography Institute, St. Petersburg branch, Russia
3) Universite de Toulouse; UPS (OMP-PCA), LEGOS, F-31400 Toulouse, France
4) M2C - UMR CNRS 6143, University of Caen, France
5) CNES; LEGOS, F-31400 Toulouse, France

Boreal wetlands play an important role in the global water and carbon cycle. In the Central and especially Western Siberia they represent vast zones. The Western Siberian plain is the most bogged region of the world - in some parts up to 70-80% of its territory is covered by bogs, in overall 1 million km2Δ. About 40% of the world pristine peatlands is located there. Western Siberia acts as a terrestrial sink of atmospheric carbon and thus plays an important role in the global cycle of carbon.

We present the results of systematization and classification of landscape patterns in the Western and Central (Yakutsk region) Siberia, as well as study of variability of hydrological processes in the study region at different temporal (from multi-year to seasonal) and spatial (from local to regional) scales through a multidisciplinary approach based on in situ and remote sensing data. Radar altimetry (T/P, ENVISAT), radiometry (SMOS, SSM/I) and optical satellite data (MODIS, Landsat) are used in combination with the in situ observations and the recent field studies done in 2008-2012.

We present the variability of water level (from radar altimetry) and surface properties (from altimeter waveforms parameters) for different studied watersheds. Seasonal and interannual variability of water abundance is studied using radar altimetry and radiometry. We also analyse the role of the snow cover in the formation and seasonal distribution of runoff in the region of Poluy, Nadym, Pur and Taz rivers (Northern part of Western Siberia) by using in situ and satellite estimates of the snow water equivalent.

This research has been done in the framework of the Russian-French cooperation GDRI "CAR-WET-SIB" and "Franco-Siberian Center for Research and Education", French ANR "CLASSIQUE", PNTS "Permafrost" and CNES TOSCA SWOT projects, Russian FZP 1.5 and EU FP7 MONARCH-A projects.