MAPPING NEAR SHORE BATHYMETRY USING WAVE KINEMATICS IN A TIME SERIES OF WORLDVIEW-2 SATELLITE IMAGES

The near shore bathymetry can be mapped with remote sensing of the motion of shoaling gravity waves. This method can be used with satellite imaging systems that can image a series of images with high resolution. Previous validation of this technique used two satellite images taken 10 s apart.. This paper reports on another validation with images in the vicinity of Newport, Oregon, USA, acquired on December 30, 2012 with the WorldView 2 satellite. The new results are obtained. First, demonstrating the benefits of averaging multiple (up to 10) image pairs. Second, significantly better spatial resolution than previously achieved. Third, increased maximum mapped depth. The Newport area bathymetry was mapped from just outside the surf zone out to a depth of 30 m, with a spatial resolution of 50 m. The result compares very favorably with the NOAA depth chart for this area.