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SaTSeaD: Satellite Triangulated Sea Depth open-source bathymetry module for NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline

August 9, 2023
We developed the first-ever bathymetric module for the NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline (ASP) open-source topographic software called Satellite Triangulated Sea Depth, or SaTSeaD, to derive nearshore bathymetry from stereo imagery. Correct bathymetry measurements depend on water surface elevation, and whereas previous methods considered the water surface horizontal, our bathymetric module accounts for the curvature of the Earth in the imagery. The process is semiautomatic, reliable, and repeatable, independent of any external bathymetry data eliminating user bias in selecting bathymetry calibration points, and it can generate a fully integrated and seamless topo-bathymetry digital elevation model (TBDEM) in the same coordinate system, comparable with the band-ratio method irrespective of the regression method used for the band-ratio algorithm. The ASP output can be improved by applying a camera bundle adjustment to minimize reprojection errors and by alignment to a more accurate topographic (above water) surface without any bathymetric input since the derived TBDEM is a rigid surface. These procedures can decrease bathymetry root mean square errors from 30 to 80 percent, depending on environmental conditions, the quality of satellite imagery, and the spectral band used (e.g., blue, green, or panchromatic).
Publication Year 2023
Title SaTSeaD: Satellite Triangulated Sea Depth open-source bathymetry module for NASA Ames Stereo Pipeline
DOI 10.3390/rs15163950
Authors Monica Palaseanu-Lovejoy, Oleg Alexandrov, Jeffrey J. Danielson, Curt Storlazzi
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Remote Sensing
Index ID 70247499
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center; Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center; Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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