A novel scientific approach combines satellite technology and field measurements to evaluate a key resource: the water on the planet.
The international mission, in which Santa Fe is involved, will measure the hydric behavior of the Paraná River and its tributaries.
The initiative is part of the international mission SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography), led by NASA along with agencies from France, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Launched in 2022, it aims to map the surface and height of water bodies on a global scale.
High precision in measuring the planet’s water: the role of UNL
The Faculty of Engineering and Water Sciences of the National University of the Litoral (FICH-UNL), through the Center for Fluvial and Hydro-Environmental Studies (CEFHAL), coordinated calibration and validation tasks.
They deployed GNSS sensors, ADCP, and hydrometric stations on the Paraná, Colastiné, Arroyo Leyes, and Laguna Setúbal.
The KaRIn interferometric radar allows measuring water level variations with centimeter precision and a detailed spatial resolution.
Satellite instruments detect changes in the surface, height, and slope of watercourses every 21 days.
This information is crucial for water management, flood prevention, and aquaculture planning. The high spatial resolution allows covering hard-to-access areas without the need to install physical stations in each stream.
Global water scarcity.
Efficiency and global reach
Remote monitoring represents a cost-effective solution for the country. As highlighted by Ricardo Szupiany, a researcher from CEFHAL, with satellite technology, national water resources can be monitored at a low cost.
Furthermore, researcher Virginia Venturini emphasized that this mission allows “installing hydrometric stations wherever desired,” including wetlands and isolated lagoons.
Keys to water management
Beyond measuring levels, SWOT also calculates the river’s slope, crucial for understanding sediment transport and predicting floods, especially in plain rivers like the Paraná.
This new tool provides global data that will be essential for effective and sustainable water management.
