Gabriel B Senay, Ph.D.
Gabriel Senay is a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, co-located with the North Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (NC CASC) in Boulder, Colorado. He is also an adjunct professor at South Dakota State University and a Faculty Affiliate with Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado.
Senay, with a background in agricultural engineering, hydrology, and remote sensing, conducts applied research on landscape water use assessment and monitoring using satellite-derived data and hydrologic modeling. He has taught courses on remote sensing of water resources and land surveying.
Research topics include:
1) Evapotranspiration modeling for crop water use mapping, drought monitoring, and water budget studies.
2) Runoff and soil moisture modeling for groundwater recharge estimation, small reservoir (pond) monitoring, and ecological drought assessment.
3) Interactions between land cover change and hydrology and their impact on water resources.
4) Spatiotemporal dynamics and trend analyses of agro-hydrologic processes and climatic drivers.
Education and Certifications
Licensed professional engineer (PE) in Civil Engineering (Water Resources)
PhD from The Ohio State University, USA.
MSc in Hydrology from Wageningen University, The Netherlands
BSc in Agricultural Engineering from Alemaya University, Ethiopia
Science and Products
Combined remote sensing and water-balance evapotranspiration estimates (SSEBop-WB) for the conterminous United States
Annual estimates of recharge, quick-flow runoff, and ET for the contiguous US using empirical regression equations, 2000-2013
Partitioning Evapotranspiration into Green and Blue Water Sources in the Conterminous United States
Satellite-based Water Use Dynamics Using Historical Landsat Data (1984-2014) in the Southwestern United States
Evaluating the temperature difference parameter in the SSEBop model with satellite observed land surface temperature data
Characterizing crop water use dynamics in the Central Valley of California using landsat-derived evapotranspiration
Long-term (1986–2015) crop water use characterization over the Upper Rio Grande Basin of United States and Mexico using Landsat-based evapotranspiration
GRACE storage change characteristics (2003–2016) over major surface basins and principal aquifers in the Conterminous United States
Continuing progress toward a national assessment of water availability and use
Multi-year data from satellite- and ground-based sensors show details and scale matter in assessing climate’s effects on wetland surface water, amphibians, and landscape conditions
Priority questions in multidisciplinary drought research
Challenges in complementing data from ground-based sensors with satellite-derived products to measure ecological changes in relation to climate – lessons from temperate wetland-upland landscapes
Case study comparing multiple irrigated land datasets in Arizona and Colorado, USA
Combining remote sensing and water-balance evapotranspiration estimates for the conterminous United States
Annual estimates of recharge, quick-flow runoff, and ET for the contiguous U.S. using empirical regression equations
Evaluating new SMAP soil moisture for drought monitoring in the rangelands of the US High Plains
Science and Products
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Combined remote sensing and water-balance evapotranspiration estimates (SSEBop-WB) for the conterminous United States
This dataset includes 1km resolution monthly timescale estimates of evapotranspiration (ET) for the 2000-2015 timespan. These new SSEBop-WB estimates were developed by combining a previously published long-term annual average evapotranspiration map based on water balance constraints with the SSEBop remote sensing ET product (see Associated Items). The combination aims to leverage the advantages ofAnnual estimates of recharge, quick-flow runoff, and ET for the contiguous US using empirical regression equations, 2000-2013
This dataset includes 800m resolution long-term average estimates of evapotranspiration (ET), quick-flow runoff, and recharge within a closed water budget over the 2000-2013 time period and annual estimates for the individual years. It also includes other supporting data associated with the publication of these estimation methods in a concurrent journal article. These estimates were developed withPartitioning Evapotranspiration into Green and Blue Water Sources in the Conterminous United States
In this study, we combined two actual evapotranspiration datasets (ET), one obtained from a root zone water balance model and another from an energy balance model, to partition annual ET into green (rainfall-based) and blue (surface/groundwater) water sources. Time series maps of green water ET (GWET) and blue water ET (BWET) are produced for the conterminous United States (CONUS) over 20012015.Satellite-based Water Use Dynamics Using Historical Landsat Data (1984-2014) in the Southwestern United States
Historical (1984-2014) Landsat-based ET maps were generated for major irrigation districts: Palo Verde and eight other sub-basins in parts of middle and lower Central Valley, California. A total of 3,396 Landsat images were processed using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy balance (SSEBop) model that integrates weather and remotely sensed images to estimate monthly and annual ET within the - Multimedia
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Evaluating the temperature difference parameter in the SSEBop model with satellite observed land surface temperature data
The Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model uses the principle of satellite psychrometry to produce spatially explicit actual evapotranspiration (ETa) with remotely sensed and weather data. The temperature difference (dT) in the model is a predefined parameter quantifying the difference between surface temperature at bare soil and air temperature at canopy level. Because dT isAuthorsLei Ji, Gabriel B. Senay, Naga Manohar Velpuri, Stefanie KagoneCharacterizing crop water use dynamics in the Central Valley of California using landsat-derived evapotranspiration
Understanding how different crops use water over time is essential for planning and managing water allocation, water rights, and agricultural production. The main objective of this paper is to characterize the spatiotemporal dynamics of crop water use in the Central Valley of California using Landsat-based annual actual evapotranspiration (ETa) from 2008 to 2018 derived from the Operational SimpliAuthorsMatthew Schauer, Gabriel SenayLong-term (1986–2015) crop water use characterization over the Upper Rio Grande Basin of United States and Mexico using Landsat-based evapotranspiration
The evaluation of historical water use in the Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB), United States and Mexico, using Landsat-derived actual evapotranspiration (ETa) from 1986 to 2015 is presented here as the first study of its kind to apply satellite observations to quantify long-term, basin-wide crop consumptive use in a large basin. The rich archive of Landsat imagery combined with the Operational SimplAuthorsGabriel Senay, Matthew Schauer, Naga Manohar Velpuri, Ramesh Singh, Stefanie Kagone, MacKenzie Friedrichs, Marcy Litvak, Kyle R. Douglas-MankinGRACE storage change characteristics (2003–2016) over major surface basins and principal aquifers in the Conterminous United States
In this research, we characterized the changes in Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment’s (GRACE) monthly total water storage anomaly (TWSA) in 18 surface basins and 12 principal aquifers in the Conterminous United States (CONUS) over 2003–2016. Regions with high variability in storage were identified. Ten basins and 4 aquifers showed significant change in storage. Eight surface basins and 8 aquAuthorsNaga Manohar Velpuri, Gabriel Senay, Jessica M. Driscoll, Samuel Saxe, Lauren E. Hay, William H. Farmer, Julie E. KiangContinuing progress toward a national assessment of water availability and use
Executive SummaryThe Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111—11) was passed into law on March 30, 2009. Subtitle F, also known as the SECURE Water Act, calls for the establishment of a “national water availability and use assessment program” within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The USGS issued the first report on the program in 2013. Program progress over the period 2013–17AuthorsEric J. Evenson, Sonya A. Jones, Nancy L. Barber, Paul M. Barlow, David L. Blodgett, Breton W. Bruce, Kyle R. Douglas-Mankin, William H. Farmer, Jeffrey M. Fischer, William B. Hughes, Jonathan Kennen, Julie E. Kiang, Molly A. Maupin, Howard W. Reeves, Gabriel B. Senay, Jennifer S. Stanton, Chad R. Wagner, Jennifer T. WilsonMulti-year data from satellite- and ground-based sensors show details and scale matter in assessing climate’s effects on wetland surface water, amphibians, and landscape conditions
Long-term, interdisciplinary studies of relations between climate and ecological conditions on wetland-upland landscapes have been lacking, especially studies integrated across scales meaningful for adaptive resource management. We collected data in situ at individual wetlands, and via satellite for surrounding 4-km2 landscape blocks, to assess relations between annual weather dynamics, snow duratAuthorsWalter Sadinski, Alisa L. Gallant, Mark Roth, Jesslyn F. Brown, Gabriel Senay, Wayne L. Brininger, Perry M. Jones, Jason M. StokerPriority questions in multidisciplinary drought research
Addressing timely and relevant questions across a multitude of spatio-temporal scales, state-of-the-art interdisciplinary drought research will likely increase in importance under projected climate change. Given the complexity of the various direct and indirect causes and consequences of a drier world, scientific tasks need to be coordinated efficiently. Drought-related research endeavors rangingAuthorsMiroslav Trnka, Michael Hayes, František Jurečka, Lenka Bartošová, Martha Anderson, Rudolf Brázdil, Jesslyn F. Brown, Jesus J. Camarero, Pavel Cudlín, Petr Dobrovolný, Josef Eitzinger, Song Feng, Taryn Finnessey, Gregor Gregorič, Petr Havlik, Christopher Hain, Ian Holman, David Johnson, Kurt Christian Kersebaum, Fredrik Charpentier Ljungqvist, Jürg Luterbacher, Fabio Micale, Claudia Hartl-Meier, Martin Možný, Pavol Nejedlik, Jørgen Eivind Olesen, Margarita Ruiz-Ramos, Reimund P. Rötter, Gabriel Senay, Sergio M. Vicente-Serrano, Mark Svoboda, Andreja Susnik, Tsegaye Tadesse, Adam Vizina, Brian D. Wardlow, Zdeněk Žalud, Ulf BüntgenChallenges in complementing data from ground-based sensors with satellite-derived products to measure ecological changes in relation to climate – lessons from temperate wetland-upland landscapes
Assessing climate-related ecological changes across spatiotemporal scales meaningful to resource managers is challenging because no one method reliably produces essential data at both fine and broad scales. We recently confronted such challenges while integrating data from ground- and satellite-based sensors for an assessment of four wetland-rich study areas in the U.S. Midwest. We examined relatiAuthorsAlisa L. Gallant, Walter J. Sadinski, Jesslyn F. Brown, Gabriel B. Senay, Mark F. RothCase study comparing multiple irrigated land datasets in Arizona and Colorado, USA
While there are currently a number of irrigated land datasets available for the western United States (U.S.), there is uncertainty regarding in how they relate to each other. To help understand the characteristics of available irrigated datasets, we compared (1) the Cropland Data Layer (CDL), (2) Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Irrigated Agriculture Dataset (IAD), (3) Digitized IrrigAuthorsHua Shi, Roger F. Auch, James Vogelmann, Min Feng, Matthew B. Rigge, Gabriel B. Senay, James VerdinCombining remote sensing and water-balance evapotranspiration estimates for the conterminous United States
Evapotranspiration (ET) is a key component of the hydrologic cycle, accounting for ~70% of precipitation in the conterminous U.S. (CONUS), but it has been a challenge to predict accurately across different spatio-temporal scales. The increasing availability of remotely sensed data has led to significant advances in the frequency and spatial resolution of ET estimates, derived from energy balance pAuthorsMeredith Reitz, Gabriel Senay, Ward E. SanfordAnnual estimates of recharge, quick-flow runoff, and ET for the contiguous U.S. using empirical regression equations
This study presents new data-driven, annual estimates of the division of precipitation into the recharge, quick-flow runoff, and evapotranspiration (ET) water budget components for 2000-2013 for the contiguous United States (CONUS). The algorithms used to produce these maps ensure water budget consistency over this broad spatial scale, with contributions from precipitation influx attributed to eacAuthorsMeredith Reitz, Ward E. Sanford, Gabriel Senay, J. CazenasEvaluating new SMAP soil moisture for drought monitoring in the rangelands of the US High Plains
Level 3 soil moisture datasets from the recently launched Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite are evaluated for drought monitoring in rangelands.Validation of SMAP soil moisture (SSM) with in situ and modeled estimates showed high level of agreement.SSM showed the highest correlation with surface soil moisture (0-5 cm) and a strong correlation to depths up to 20 cm.SSM showed a reliableAuthorsNaga Manohar Velpuri, Gabriel B. Senay, Jeffrey T. Morisette - Software
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