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
Towards an Integrated Understanding of Terrestrial Evapotranspiration
Using Satellite Imagery to Estimate Consumptive Water Use from Irrigated Lands in the Milk River Basin, United States and Canada
Eyes on Earth Episode 35 – Watching the Water Supply with OpenET
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we hear about a partnership that aims to simplify and share critical water use data for the Western U.S.
Moving towards EarthMAP: Establishing linkages among USGS land use, water use, runoff, and recharge models
Eyes on Earth Episode 17 – Evapotranspiration
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn how EROS scientists use satellites to help manage water use.
Webinar: Monitoring the Exchange of Moisture Between the Land and Atmosphere to Improve Our Understanding of Drought
Ecological Drought Across the Country
Satellite precipitation estimates for selected locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
Forcing and Normalizing Operation (FANO) method for the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) ET model
High Resolution Daily Global Alfalfa-Reference Potential Evapotranspiration Climatology
Global gray-sky dT: the inverse of the surface psychrometric constant parameter in the SSEBop evapotranspiration model
Unit hydrographs of evolving urban watersheds across the United States
Actual Evapotranspiration at Landsat scale at CONUS scale for 2010-2019
Assembly of satellite-based rainfall datasets in situ data and rainfall climatology contours for the MENA region
Modeling accumulated surface runoff and water availability for aquifer storage and recovery in the MENA region from 1984-2015
Annual SSEBop ET rasters at Landsat scale from 2010-2019 for the CONUS
Soil properties dataset in the United States
Operational Global Actual Evapotranspiration using the SSEBop model
Assessing the impact of irrigation curtailment using Landsat satellite data: A case study in the Upper Klamath Lake basin
Improving the operational simplified surface energy balance evapotranspiration model using the forcing and normalizing operation
Upper Rio Grande Basin water-resource status and trends: Focus area study review and synthesis
Land cover change effects on stormflow characteristics across broad hydroclimate representative urban watersheds in the United States
Water-use data in the United States: Challenges and future directions
Mapping actual evapotranspiration using Landsat for the conterminous United States: Google Earth Engine implementation and assessment of the SSEBop model
OpenET: Filling a critical data gap in water management for the western United States
A new approach to evaluate and reduce uncertainty of model-based biodiversity projections for conservation policy formulation
Estimates of public-supply, domestic, and irrigation water withdrawal, use, and trends in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, 1985 to 2015
Historical changes in plant water use and need in the continental United States
Using satellite imagery to estimate consumptive water use from irrigated lands in the Milk River Basin, United States and Canada
Characterization of water use and water balance for the croplands of Kansas using satellite, climate, and irrigation data
Dynamics of green and blue water supply stress index across major global cropland basins
A Google Earth Engine Application for Exploring Potential Changes in Design Peak-flow of US Urban Areas Driven by Land Cover Change
Science and Products
- Science
Towards an Integrated Understanding of Terrestrial Evapotranspiration
Terrestrial evapotranspiration (ET), the second-largest component of the terrestrial water cycle, links water, energy, and carbon cycles and influences the productivity and health of our ecosystems. Despite the importance of ET, the dynamics of ET across a spectrum of spatiotemporal scale and their controls are uncertain. During an international ET workshop held in November 2021 by AmeriFlux, theUsing Satellite Imagery to Estimate Consumptive Water Use from Irrigated Lands in the Milk River Basin, United States and Canada
The U.S. Geological Survey, with the support of the International Joint Commission, and in cooperation with Alberta Environment and Parks, Blackfeet Nation, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, is leading a project that should improve information available to apportion water between Canada and the United States in the St. Mary and...Eyes on Earth Episode 35 – Watching the Water Supply with OpenET
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we hear about a partnership that aims to simplify and share critical water use data for the Western U.S.
Moving towards EarthMAP: Establishing linkages among USGS land use, water use, runoff, and recharge models
Understanding and anticipating change in dynamic Earth systems is vital for societal adaptation and welfare. USGS possesses the multidisciplinary capabilities to anticipate Earth systems change, yet our work is often bound within a single discipline and/or Mission Area. The proposed work breaks new ground in moving USGS towards an interdisciplinary predictive modeling framework. We are initially lEyes on Earth Episode 17 – Evapotranspiration
Eyes on Earth is a podcast on remote sensing, Earth observation, land change and science, brought to you by the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center. In this episode, we learn how EROS scientists use satellites to help manage water use.
Webinar: Monitoring the Exchange of Moisture Between the Land and Atmosphere to Improve Our Understanding of Drought
View this webinar to learn how scientists are using remote sensing tools for drought monitoring.Ecological Drought Across the Country
Water resources are critical for ecosystems, agriculture, and communities, and potential climate impacts to hydrologic budgets and cycles are arguably the most consequential to society. Apart from precipitation, evapotranspiration makes up the most significant component of the hydrologic budget. Evapotranspiration is a primary metric for identifying Ecological Drought, a deficit in water availabil - Data
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Satellite precipitation estimates for selected locations in the Republic of the Marshall Islands
The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) is a sovereign Small Island State in the tropical central North Pacific Ocean. RMI is a nation of more than thirty atolls and islands, most of which are inhabited, dispersed across an exclusive economic zone (EEZ) over 2 million square kilometers. This data release contains files of daily precipitation estimates beginning in 2001 for 23 inhabited sites inForcing and Normalizing Operation (FANO) method for the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) ET model
We developed an improved approach to the parameterization of the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model using the Forcing and Normalizing Operation (FANO). The FANO parameterization was implemented on two computing platforms using Landsat and gridded meteorological datasets: 1) Google Earth Engine (GEE) and 2) Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center Science ProcHigh Resolution Daily Global Alfalfa-Reference Potential Evapotranspiration Climatology
Global alfalfa-reference potential evapotranspiration (ETr) is a key model parameter in actual evapotranspiration (ETa) modeling for worldwide applications. This dataset was constructed for use with the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model as a key driver of the final ETa magnitude. SSEBop is a parametric energy balance-based model that determines actual ET as the product oGlobal gray-sky dT: the inverse of the surface psychrometric constant parameter in the SSEBop evapotranspiration model
The surface psychrometric constant (spc) is a key model parameter in actual evapotranspiration modeling using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model for establishing model boundary limits for the dry/bare and wet/vegetated surface conditions. The inverse of the constant (1/spc) represents the temperature difference (dT) between the bare/dry surface and the air temperatureUnit hydrographs of evolving urban watersheds across the United States
The dataset contains the land cover, climate (precipitation and air temperature), unit hydrograph and its characteristics (peak and time to peak), and study watershed boundaries. These data were applied to investigate the impacts of changes in land cover and climate on stormflow of evolving six urban watersheds, representing six different hydroclimate of the conterminous United States. Overall, thActual Evapotranspiration at Landsat scale at CONUS scale for 2010-2019
The estimation and mapping of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is an active area of applied research in the fields of agriculture and water resources. Thermal remote sensing-based methods, using coarse resolution satellites, have been successful at estimating ETa over the conterminous United States (CONUS) and other regions of the world. In this study, we present CONUS-wide ETa from Landsat thermalAssembly of satellite-based rainfall datasets in situ data and rainfall climatology contours for the MENA region
Information on the spatio-temporal distribution of rainfall is very critical for addressing water related disasters, especially in the arid to semi-arid regions of the Middle East and North Africa region. However, availability of reliable rainfall datasets for the region is limited. In this study we combined observation from satellite-based rainfall data, in situ rain gauge observation and rainfalModeling accumulated surface runoff and water availability for aquifer storage and recovery in the MENA region from 1984-2015
The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is the most water-scarce region with only two percent of the global average annual rainfall, hence underground aquifers are the major source of water. The need to improve water productivity and increase aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is driving the efforts for this acceleration of aquifer storage and recovery project. The objective was to model ruAnnual SSEBop ET rasters at Landsat scale from 2010-2019 for the CONUS
CONUS-wide acutal ET (ETa) from Landsat thermal imagery-using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model in the Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. Over 150,000 Landsat satellite images were used to produce 10 years of annual ETa (2010-2019).Soil properties dataset in the United States
The dataset consists of three raster GeoTIFF files describing the following soil properties in the US: available water capacity, field capacity, and soil porosity. The input data were obtained from the gridded National Soil Survey Geographic (gNATSGO) Database and the Gridded Soil Survey Geographic (gSSURGO) Database with Soil Data Development tools provided by the Natural Resources Conservation SOperational Global Actual Evapotranspiration using the SSEBop model
The data presented here are in support of the evaluation efforts of the satellite-based actual Evapotranspiration (ETa) using the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model. The ETa data is currently used by the U.S. Geological Survey Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS NET) to produce and post multitemporal ETa and ETa anomalies online on a regular basis for drought monitoAssessing the impact of irrigation curtailment using Landsat satellite data: A case study in the Upper Klamath Lake basin
The associated geotiff rasters represents the total actual evapotranspiration (ETa) from June through September for the years 2004, 2006, 2008-2010, and 2013-2016 for the entire Klamath Basin in southern Oregon. The ETa was created using Landsat imagery and the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model to estimate actual ET and the Python scripts to complete that process is also - Multimedia
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Improving the operational simplified surface energy balance evapotranspiration model using the forcing and normalizing operation
Actual evapotranspiration modeling is providing useful information for researchers and resource managers in agriculture and water resources around the world. The performance of models depends on the accuracy of forcing inputs and model parameters. We developed an improved approach to the parameterization of the Operational Simplified Surface Energy Balance (SSEBop) model using the Forcing and NormUpper Rio Grande Basin water-resource status and trends: Focus area study review and synthesis
The Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) is a critical international water resource under pressure from a myriad of climatic, ecological, infrastructural, water-use, and legal constraints. The objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the spatial distribution and temporal trends of selected water-budget components (snow processes, evapotranspiration (ET), streamflow processes, aLand cover change effects on stormflow characteristics across broad hydroclimate representative urban watersheds in the United States
Urban development alters stormflow characteristics and is associated with increasing flood risks. The long-term evaluation of stormflow characteristics that exacerbate floods, such as peak stormflow and time-to-peak stormflow at varying levels of urbanization across different hydroclimates, is limited. This study investigated the long-term (1980s to 2010s) effects of increasing urbanization on keyWater-use data in the United States: Challenges and future directions
In the United States, greater attention has been given to developing water supplies and quantifying available waters than determining who uses water, how much they withdraw and consume, and how and where water use occurs. As water supplies are stressed due to an increasingly variable climate, changing land-use, and growing water needs, greater consideration of the demand side of the water balanceMapping actual evapotranspiration using Landsat for the conterminous United States: Google Earth Engine implementation and assessment of the SSEBop model
The estimation and mapping of actual evapotranspiration (ETa) is an active area of applied research in the fields of agriculture and water resources. Thermal remote sensing-based methods, using coarse resolution satellites, have been successful at estimating ETa over the conterminous United States (CONUS) and other regions of the world. In this study, we present CONUS-wide ETa from Landsat thermalOpenET: Filling a critical data gap in water management for the western United States
The lack of consistent, accurate information on evapotranspiration (ET) and consumptive use of water by irrigated agriculture is one of the most important data gaps for water managers in the western United States (U.S.) and other arid agricultural regions globally. The ability to easily access information on ET is central to improving water budgets across the West, advancing the use of data-drivenA new approach to evaluate and reduce uncertainty of model-based biodiversity projections for conservation policy formulation
Biodiversity projections with uncertainty estimates under different climate, land-use, and policy scenarios are essential to setting and achieving international targets to mitigate biodiversity loss. Evaluating and improving biodiversity predictions to better inform policy decisions remains a central conservation goal and challenge. A comprehensive strategy to evaluate and reduce uncertainty of moEstimates of public-supply, domestic, and irrigation water withdrawal, use, and trends in the Upper Rio Grande Basin, 1985 to 2015
The Rio Grande flows approximately 670 miles from its headwaters in the San Juan Mountains of south-central Colorado to Fort Quitman, Texas, draining the Upper Rio Grande Basin (URGB) study area of 32,000 square miles that includes parts of Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. Parts of the basin extend into the United Mexican States (hereafter “Mexico”), where the Rio Grande forms the international boHistorical changes in plant water use and need in the continental United States
A robust method for characterizing the biophysical environment of terrestrial vegetation uses the relationship between Actual Evapotranspiration (AET) and Climatic Water Deficit (CWD). These variables are usually estimated from a water balance model rather than measured directly and are often more representative of ecologically-significant changes than temperature or precipitation. We evaluate treUsing satellite imagery to estimate consumptive water use from irrigated lands in the Milk River Basin, United States and Canada
The U.S. Geological Survey, with the support of the International Joint Commission, and in cooperation with Alberta Environment and Parks, Blackfeet Nation, Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, is leading a project that should improve information available to apportion water between Canada and the United States in the St. Mary and MilCharacterization of water use and water balance for the croplands of Kansas using satellite, climate, and irrigation data
Kansas is one of the most productive agricultural states in the United States, where agricultural irrigation is a primary user of underground and surface water. Because of low precipitation and declining groundwater levels in western and central Kansas, sustainable management of irrigation water resources is a critical issue in the agricultural productivity of the state. The objective of this studDynamics of green and blue water supply stress index across major global cropland basins
Global food and water insecurity could be serious problems in the upcoming decades with growing demands from the increasing global population and more frequent effect of climatic extremes. As the available water resources are diminishing and facing continuous stress, it is crucial to monitor water demand and water availability to understand the associated water stresses. This study assessed the wa - Software
A Google Earth Engine Application for Exploring Potential Changes in Design Peak-flow of US Urban Areas Driven by Land Cover Change
A Google Earth Engine (GEE) application was developed to explore the spatial distribution map of potential percent change (2020 compared to 1985) of design peak-flow, an average percent change (average of pixels within the selected urban area) as text, and three time-series (1985-2020) charts of design peak-flow for three precipitation frequencies (with three recurrence interval and precipitation - News
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