Detection of Floating Debris in the Lake Using Statistical Properties of Synthetic Aperture Radar Pulses

Abstract

This study developed the European Space Agency (ESA) Setinel-1 Ground Range Detected (GRD) time series analysis model for monitoring floating debris in lake areas through Google Earth Engine Application Programming Interface. The study aims to monitor floating debris caused by heavy rainfall efficiently. Regarding water resources and water quality management, floating debris from multipurpose dams requires continuous monitoring from the initial generation stage. In the study, a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) time series analysis model that is easy to identify water bodies was developed due to low accessibility in large areas. Although SAR satellite images could be used to observe inland water environments, debris detection on water surface surfaces has yet to be studied. For the first time, this study detected floating debris patches in a wide range of lakes from GRD imagery acquired by ESA’s Sentinel-1 satellite. It demonstrated the potential to distinguish them from naturally occurring materials such as invasive floating plants. In this study, the case of Daecheong Dam, in which predicted floating debris was detected after heavy rain using Sentinel-1 GRD data, is presented. It could quickly detect various floating debris flowing into dams used as a source of drinking water and serve as a reference for establishing a collection plan.