You can extract depth information from satellite images (or orthophotos) of clear shallow waters. You can use just optical bands, as Leo wrote above. It is possible to use even Google images. Just, you need to have several points with known depth for calibration.

This possibility has been examined by many authors:

Lyzenga, D.R., 1978. Passive remote sensing techniques for mapping water depth and bottom features. Applied Optics 17 (3), 379-383.

Clark, R.K., Fay, T., Walker, C., 1987. Bathymetry calculations with Landsat 4 TM imagery under a generalized ratio assumption. Applied Optics 26 (19), 4036-4038.

Benny, A.H., Dawson, G., 1983. Satellite imagery as aid to bathymetric charting in the Red Sea. The Cartographic Journal 20 (1), 5-16.

Stove, G., 1985. Use of high resolution satellite imagery in optical and infrared wavebands as an aid to hydrographic and coastal engineering. Proceedings Conference on Electronics in Soil and Gas, London, January 1985 (Twickenham: Cahners Exhibitors), pp. 509-530.

Stumpf, R.P., Holderied K., Sinclair M., 2003. Determination of water depth with highresolution satellite imagery over variable bottom types. Limnology and Oceanography 48 (1, part 2), 547-556.

A review of passive remote sensing of shallow-water bathymetry Yarbrough, L.D., Easson, G., 2003. Comparison of techniques for deriving bathymetry from

remotely sensed data. AMRS – Conference 2003: Hyperspectral Issues for Coastal Zone Environments.

Baban, S.M.J., 1993. Evaluation of different algorithms for bathymetric charting of lakes using Landsat imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing 14 (12), 2263-2273.

Bramante, J.F.; Raju, D.K., Min T.S., 2010. Derivation of bathymetry from multispectral imagery in the highly turbid waters of Singapore’s south islands: A comparative study. DigitalGlobe 8 – Band Research Challenge 2010.

I would not know any, but there are some empirical formulae which estimate depth from the area of rivers or lakes. Water body area is available e.g. from the SRTM water body dataset.

What are the remote sensing based parameters/variables used in those empirical formula? SRTM is for DEM.

SRTM is a DEM, but there is a derived water-body dataset: https://lta.cr.usgs.gov/srtm_water_body_dataset

I do not exactly know the lake-depth formula, but a short google-search brought up this open-access publication:

Hollister JW, Milstead WB, Urrutia MA (2011) Predicting Maximum Lake Depth from Surrounding Topography. PLoS ONE 6(9): e25764. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0025764

it should be a good start for further investigating the topic.

Thanks a lot for your valuable comments and info. I started to explore it now.

There are 2 ways of tackling this which will all work depending on the type of waterbody. 1. if the waterbody is turbid (satellite imagery won't see the bottom) and fluctuates in level, then take multi-temporal Landsat imagery and extract the shoreline at different lake levels. This will give you contours and you'll need to match the contours to stage heights (if it's gauged) or wait until it's dry and RTK GPS the contour heights.

2. If the waterbodies are clear (clear enough to see the bottom from satellite imagery) use optical water quality techniques to process Landsat or World View 2 (or similar commercial hi res imagery) and you can extract bathymetry that way.

Rivers are a bit more tricky because of the variability in scale and morphology. However a multi-temporal approach (using either Landsat or commercial hi res) will give good results.

For deep lakes that don't fluctuate the approach that Nils suggests sounds good.

Thanks a lot dear Dr. Leo for your highly valuable reply. Also thanks to Dr. Nils too. I have started investigating the topic to dig more. If I find some troubles, I will let you know.

Regards,

I searched on internet and found some papers. Through those papers, I came to know that Radar Altimetry Program through Jason and Envisat provide depth of lakes which are bigger than 100sq.km. These are organized by USDA Lake Monitor Program. On my special request, they are agreed to include some of the lakes from Pakistan which were not a part of this program before.

Not sure but please go through the following link if u r interested

http://bprc.osu.edu/hydro/publications/2010a_Durand.pdf

Http://www.itc.nl/library/papers_2011/msc/wrem/majozi.pdf

Thanks a lot dear Dr. Sundaram for your nice suggestion. I downloaded both paper and thesis and will see them in detail. But what I learnt from the bird's eye view of both manuscripts, is that they didn't use the technique which I mentioned. They used different methods like SAR Interferometry and another didn't address the real depth of lake but addressed the Euphotic depth which is a depth of the water constituents. But, thanks again, I will see these papers in detail.

Space Gravity data

Dear Panditrao,

Thanks aa lot for your reply. According to my knowledge, Space Gravity data like GRACE is not for estimating depths, instead it is for estimating water amount in whole basin.

Try to contact the people from ESA and UK responsible of the "River and Lake" website:

http://tethys.eaprs.cse.dmu.ac.uk/RiverLake/shared/main

[email protected]

On the web they published only the more reliable data they have. But, upon request, they can send you also data (if reliable) for other points. For instance, we successfully used this data for water level estimation of the Po River (Italy). Have a look to: http://presentations.copernicus.org/EGU2013-7184_presentation.pptx

Thanks a lot dear Dr. Brocca for this kind guidance. I am very thankful to you. I contacted the US representative of the same project several days ago and he told me that these altimetry satellites don't cross all the lakes of the globe. For some lakes both Jason and Envisat cross but for some only one of them crosses and for some none of them. But anyway, I will also send email to the address you provided and ask him about the lakes area I am interested in. Thanks a lot again.

You can extract depth information from satellite images (or orthophotos) of clear shallow waters. You can use just optical bands, as Leo wrote above. It is possible to use even Google images. Just, you need to have several points with known depth for calibration.

This possibility has been examined by many authors:

Lyzenga, D.R., 1978. Passive remote sensing techniques for mapping water depth and bottom features. Applied Optics 17 (3), 379-383.

Clark, R.K., Fay, T., Walker, C., 1987. Bathymetry calculations with Landsat 4 TM imagery under a generalized ratio assumption. Applied Optics 26 (19), 4036-4038.

Benny, A.H., Dawson, G., 1983. Satellite imagery as aid to bathymetric charting in the Red Sea. The Cartographic Journal 20 (1), 5-16.

Stove, G., 1985. Use of high resolution satellite imagery in optical and infrared wavebands as an aid to hydrographic and coastal engineering. Proceedings Conference on Electronics in Soil and Gas, London, January 1985 (Twickenham: Cahners Exhibitors), pp. 509-530.

Stumpf, R.P., Holderied K., Sinclair M., 2003. Determination of water depth with highresolution satellite imagery over variable bottom types. Limnology and Oceanography 48 (1, part 2), 547-556.

A review of passive remote sensing of shallow-water bathymetry Yarbrough, L.D., Easson, G., 2003. Comparison of techniques for deriving bathymetry from

remotely sensed data. AMRS – Conference 2003: Hyperspectral Issues for Coastal Zone Environments.

Baban, S.M.J., 1993. Evaluation of different algorithms for bathymetric charting of lakes using Landsat imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing 14 (12), 2263-2273.

Bramante, J.F.; Raju, D.K., Min T.S., 2010. Derivation of bathymetry from multispectral imagery in the highly turbid waters of Singapore’s south islands: A comparative study. DigitalGlobe 8 – Band Research Challenge 2010.

Remote sensing satellites can draw oceans and rivers floor directly, by making precise measurements of the ocean or river surface by radar waves. Thus, we can infer on the topography of ocean or river floor, because these waves can detect elevations statistics in water by the attraction of gravity of the terrain at the bottom of the ocean. Furthermore, the big mountain of the ocean floor attract more water near them, leading to rising sea levels sufficiently above because detected by radar.

The survey and reconnaissance ships make cadastral maps, mapped to only about 7% of the area of the seabed and ocean by reflux echo devices.

If you need satellite data, people from NOAA Satellite and Information Service can help you, you can visit them via this link:

http://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/star/socdr_research.php

In their website, they published a good article related to your question and it might be helpful entitled: Mapping Oceans Depths from Heights above the Earth, August 3, 2012

Please check this link also: http://nekweather.net/wxhydro.php

Also, you can go with this choice

@Nadia Basos: Thanks a lot dear Nadia for your detailed and highly valuable reply. I will try to go through from all o fyour suggestions including the references which you mentioned. I am also very grateful to Dr. Luca Brocca and Dr. Leo for their valuable guidelines.

@Saeed Al-Mansoori: Dear Dr. Al-Mansoori! I am very grateful to you from the core of my heart for these valuable guidelines and suggestions. I will try my best to go through from all what you suggested. It is really an honor for me to get these suggestions.

You can estimate depth from satellite data, but results so far are not good. Most of the time these are indirect estimates. The upcoming SWOT (Surface Water Ocean Topography) mission planned by NASA will be able to measure the depth DIRECTLY. But the mission if few years down the road. check out http://swot.jpl.nasa.gov/ for the details

Thanks alot dear Dr. Bidhya for sharing me about this new data source. I will keep an eye on it from nowonwards.

Satellite Gravity data can be useful... GRACE mission is important for this matter..http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/

thanks dear Satej. Gravimetry data is not for estimating depths. it is estimating water in whole basin

you Can use Landsat-8 images then through processing by ENVI 5.3 software you can get the bathymetry information. but there is many correction and factors that had to be considered such as water turbidity, atmospheric correction and so on. in case you need high resolution  you can use worldview-2, spot or other satellite images.

I guess following papers can be useful for your research:

Leon, J. G., Bonnet, M. P., Cauhope, M., Calmant, S., Seyler, F., Distributed water flow estimates of the Upper Negro River using a Muskingum-Cunge routing model based on altimetric spatial data., En revisión. Hydrological Processes, 2007.        [ Links ]

Leon, J. G., Calmant, S., Seyler, F., Bonnet, M. P., Cauhope, M., Frappart, F., Filizola, N., Rating curves and estimation of average water depth at the Upper Negro River based on satellite altimeter data and modelled discharges., J. of Hydrology, 328, 2006a, pp. 481-496.        [ Links ]

Leon, J. G., Seyler , F., Calmant, S., Bonnet, M. P., Cauhope, M., Hydrological parameter estimation for ungauged basin based on satellite altimeter data and discharge modeling. A simulation for the Caqueta River (Amazonian Basin, Colombia)., Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, D. 3, 2006b, pp. 3023-3059. 

León Hernández, Juan Gabriel, Domínguez Calle, Efraín Antonio, & Duque Nivia, Guillermo. (2008). Avances más recientes sobre la aplicación de la altimetría radar por satélite en hidrología: Caso de la cuenca amazónica. Ingeniería e Investigación, 28(3), 126-131. Retrieved July 13, 2017, from http://www.scielo.org.co/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0120-56092008000300018&lng=en&tlng=es.