| Title: Contribution of satellite altimetry to the study of the spatial and temporal variability of water level in the Inner Delta of Niger River.;Content: The radar altimeter was originally developed to contribute to the study of ocean waters dynamics. The large size of oceans and their relative homogeneity favor the use of satellite altimetry. The success on the oceans led many researchers to investigate the use of satellite altimetry for the characterization of inland waters and land surfaces. Encouraging results have been reported by some studies on the hydrology of inland seas, lakes and rivers and floodplains.;In this thesis, we evaluate the contribution of satellite altimetry in the analysis of changes in water level in the Inner Delta of Niger River in Mali, in West Africa. Classified among the sites of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, the Inner Delta plays a leading role for Mali and the whole sub-region, both on the socio-economic and environmental scales. The Delta is characterized by a flooding period, during which an area of over 20,000 km2 of land is flooded. The water withdraws completely during the recession. These dynamic flooding-recession conditions practically control all the human activities in the region and significantly influence the ecological processes. On the other hand, the Delta is becoming more and more fragile due to desertification, climate change and agricultural activities. A better characterization of water level variations and understanding the hydrological regime are of critical importance in the Delta.;Satellite altimetry data considered in the study come from Topex/Poseidon (1992-2005) and Envisat (2002-2009). The data were corrected for environmental effects. In order to develop time series including data from both satellites, we analyzed their overlapping period (2002-2005). This analysis revealed a good correlation between the two sets of measurements (R2 = 0,76), and a systematic bias of about 89 cm. The Envisat measurements were then corrected to bring them in the same altimetry reference level as Topex/Poseidon, thereby producing time series of 17 years (1992-2009). Following this analysis, we proposed a waveform retracking algorithm that integrates the backscattering coefficient to the time scale of penetration of the radar pulse in a medium with a presence of vegetation. The idea here is to consider the heterogeneity of a medium such as the Delta, which can be covered with vegetation. For this, we introduce into the equation of the waveform, the backscattering coefficient estimated from the so called water cloud model, to create a new algorithm called retracking algorithm of water cloud. This algorithm was applied to the Envisat and OSTM/Jason-2 data. The results of the algorithm were validated with in situ measurements of the Direction Nationale de l'Hydraulique du Mali and also with measurements acquired during a campaign of data collection conducted between August and October 2009. The observed differences are generally small (<± 1 m). The retracking algorithm of water cloud was compared to other existing algorithms. It shows a strong correlation with Ice-1 (R 2 = 0,84).;Finally, we analyzed the influence of precipitation on the variations of the altimetry-derived water levels. Three sources of precipitations from satellite measurements and reanalysis data were considered in three catchments (basin Fouta Djallon in upstream, Bani basin and the inner basin in Mali). The analysis reveals the importance of precipitations, particularly in the basin of Fouta Djallon. Approximately 70% of sites analyzed in the Delta show a relatively strong correlation (R2 > 0,40) with the cumulative precipitations in the basins considered.;Keywords : Remote Sensing, Satellite altimetry, Continental waters, Water level, Long term analysis, Inner Delta of Niger River, Water-cloud model, Envisat, Topex/Poseidon. |
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