Water level analysis in Tibet using CryoSat-2

Abstract

While the water level monitoring in Tibet suffers data gaps due to insufficient in situ gauge stations, the satellite altimetry serves as an efficient alternative. In this work, measurements from the CryoSat-2 mission are employed and analyzed to determine water level time series in various lakes throughout Tibetan region. The time series are calculated by reducing the geoid undulations from surface heights measured and provided in CryoSat-2 level-2 products. They are also subjected to a novel outlier detection scheme to identify and eliminate outliers. Combined with the local geography, the water level time series can deliver an overview of hydrological pattern throughout Tibet.