SIMULATION OF THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE OF RIVER BASINS USING SYNCHRONOUS HIGH-RESOLUTION SATELLITE DATA

E. L. Muzylev, A. B. Uspenskii, E. V. Volkova, and Z. P. Startseva

Components of the hydrological cycle of the Seim River basin (Kursk region) are simulated using land surface temperature (ST) estimates derived from NOAA/AVHRR data. A methods described for constructing ST fields under clear-air conditions based on the split-window algorithm and satellite soil and vegetation emissivity estimates. The model of the hydrological cycle describes the vertical heat and moisture exchange in the soil—vegetation—atmosphere system and also runoff formation with account for spatial land surface and vegetation heterogeneities. The model sensitivity to variations of vegetation characteristics is investigated. Satellite ST estimates are used for validation of the model of initial conditions, which led to a certain improvement of the accuracy of calculation of total evaporation.