Remote sensing of change in components of the regional water balance of the Murray-Darling basin using satellite imaged and spatially registered environmental data

Abstract

The project aims to develop a series of maps by remote sensing to monitor aspects of the regional hydrology of the Murray-Darling Basin as well as its properties as a hydrothermal (water/energy) system. The methods are based on the analysis of thermal and microwave data collected by satellites to extract information on surface temperature and emissivity and thereby to estimate the spatial and temporal variation of soil moisture, rate of evaporation, water balance and associated properties of the root zone at a regional scale.