First I will show examples of radar mapping of hurricane surge extent and duration and optical mapping of the resultant marsh dieback along the Louisiana coast

Next we extend these works to hurricane Sandy surge persistence calculated from a series of SAR images collected after landfall

Sandy surge persistence is then associated with marsh dieback calculated based on optical image data

The presentation is an overview of the map products. Details of the data and the techniques used are available in a series of our publications and reports

Also included are maps prepared for emergency response operations under the March 2016 International Charter activation for Louisiana

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Amina Rangoonwala and Elijah Ramsey III Wetland and Aquatic Research Center

U.S. Geological Survey Lafayette, LA

Optical (passive) imaging measures the reflectance of sunlight from the earths surface

Radar (active) imaging provides its own illumination to record data day and night in nearly all weather conditions

Optical and RADAR (SAR) Imaging

Adapted from e-GOES® on line presentation

Optical Radar

2005 Hurricane Rita

Ramsey III, E., Z. Lu, Y. Suzuoki, A. Rangoonwala, and D. Werle, 2011. Monitoring duration and extent of storm surge flooding along the Louisiana coast with Envisat ASAR data. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 4(2), 387-399.

ENVISAT ASAR Images

Limit of Coverage ENVISAT ASAR Image Mode October 1 2005

Storm Surge Flood Map from ENVISAT ASAR

Year 2005

Envisat ASAR 29 July 2005 Hurricane Rita Land Fall around Sabine North Envisat ASAR 01 October 2005 Envisat ASAR 20 October 2005 Envisat ASAR 08 November 2005 Envisat ASAR 24 November 2005 Envisat ASAR 13 December 2005 ENVISAT ASAR 29 December 2005

7 days later

From H. Rita

26 days later

From H. Rita

45 days later

From H. Rita

61 days later

From H. Rita

Rit

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Hurricane Ike Landfall Galveston, TX 13 September 0700 UTC Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

MODIS (Optical) 16:55 UTC and ASAR (Radar) 16:11 UTC 14 September 2008

LANDSAT TM 2008 September and October

Post TM image with Flood Inundation from ENVISAT ASAR Post TM image with Flood Inundation from ENVISAT ASAR

MODIS Post-Hurricanes RADAR Post-Hurricanes Optical TM Post-Hurricanes

2008 Hurricanes Gustav and Ike

2008 Hurricane Impact to Coastal Marshes

Ramsey III, E., D. Werle, Y. Suzuoki, A. Rangoonwala, and Z. Lu, 2012. Limitations and Potential of Optical and Radar Satellite Imagery to Monitor Environmental Response to Coastal Emergencies in Louisiana, USA, Journal of Coastal

Research, 28(2), 457–476

Hurricane Sandy Surge Extent, Persistence and Marsh Change – along the 127 mile New Jersey Coast

Objectives

• Surge extent maps using calibrated radar TerraSAR-X and COSMO X-band images

• Surge persistence map using the radar flood extents

• Marsh condition change-sudden dieback using pre- and post optical data

• Marsh condition change association with surge persistence

Rangoonwala, A., Enwright, N. M, Ramsey III, E., and Spruce J P., (2016), Radar and optical mapping of surge persistence and marsh dieback along the New Jersey Mid-Atlantic coast after Hurricane Sandy, International Journal of Remote

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01431161.2016.1163748

Up

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High Marsh Low Marsh

Short form S. alterniflora

Lagoon

NOAA flood extent

at landfall 10/29/12

8:00 PM (EDT)

The initial surge extent was based on methods documented by NOAA that uses water level, topography, and USGS high water marks.

Radar Image footprints

Hurricane Sandy Surge

and Marsh Dieback in the

New Jersey Coastal Zone

Yellow line delineates the low lying coastal areas. The extent of the our surge and marsh change maps match coastal marsh extent (NJDEP (New Jersey Department of

Environmental Protection). 2010. 2007 Land use/land cover update). http://www.nj.gov/dep/gis/lulc07shp.html

Resilience described by marsh exposure to surge as determined by surge extent and persistence and the change in marsh condition.

Surge flooding mainly subcanopy -shows presence or absence of flooding

Optical Image footprints Focus Region

Surge Extent after Landfall

COSMO 31 October 2012

TSX 01 November 2012

35 hours 59 hours

30 October 2012 COSMO

30 October 2012 TSX

10 hours 12 hours

Surface Water

31 Oct 2012

Surface Depression

0 5 Km 0 5 Km 0 5 Km

SAR-based surge persistence and optical-based marsh condition change revealed a region of high surge-related back-barrier marsh impacts extending about 20-km north of the Hurricane Sandy landfall track

Just to the north, lower persistence was generally aligned with little change in condition.

Outside of these regions, distinct patterns in persistence and condition were possibly related to freshwater mitigation, heterogeneity of marsh structure, and differential resilience.

Our approach and products provide resource management with a new and effective strategy for identifying and responding to surge persistence latent impacts to coastal resiliency.

International Charter activities in response to coastal flooding

Examples of March 2016 river flooding in Louisiana

Area to the northeast of Shreveport, Louisiana

Darker tones indicate lower backscatter – open water or water height at or above vegetation

Brighter tones indicate higher backscatter – for example, surface flooding beneath tree stands (riparian forest)

Using only one date, we do not know if the surface water extent is atypical

1Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office (based on 2002 Landsat Thematic Mapper Data)

Light blue - possible understory flooding of forest stands including riparian areas

Dark blue - open water including possible flooding of fields and grasslands

Permanent water bodies shown as black were extracted from the LOSCO1 database

Yellow- all other nonflooded landscape

TerraSAR-X (German Satellite)

RADARSAT-2 (Canadian Satellite)

C-band

TerraSAR-X (German Satellite)

Two TSX image collections were used to map surface water extent

Predate is 07 February 2008 (23:49:00 UTC)

Land areas with standing water in both 2008 and 2016 were excluded in the difference mapping. For example, the permanently flooded cypress forest surrounding Interstate 10 in the Pearl River basin is not included in the surface water map

Pearl River area

ALOS-2 (Japanese Satellite)

L band

23 February 2015; (17:55:48.13 UTC)

21 March 2016; (17:55:42.47 UTC)

Land areas with standing water in both 2015 and 2016 were excluded in the difference mapping. For example, the permanently flooded cypress forest surrounding Interstate 10 in the Pearl River basin is not included in the surface water map

Pearl River area

Thank you

rangoonwalaa@usgs.gov