Water storage variations in the Aral Sea from multi-sensor satellite data in comparison with results from GRACE gravimetry

摘要

The Aral Sea was the fourth largest lake of the world until the 1960s. Due to large-scale irrigation projects in the region, the lake started shrinking drastically [1],[6]. In this paper we estimate the volume change of water in the Aral Sea from geometrical remote sensing techniques (satellite altimetry and optical satellite images) in combination with a digital elevation model. The results are compared with observations of water storage changes from the dedicated satellite gravity field mission GRACE for the time frame between 2002 and 2011.