Lindao et al. (2026) Lake Morphometry Influences the Accuracy of SWOT Estimates of Water Level

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Geophysical Research Letters
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-07-06
• Authors: David Lindao, Fernando Jaramillo
• DOI: 10.1029/2026gl122584

Research Groups

• Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University
• Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI)

Short Summary

This study evaluates the performance of the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission in estimating lake water surface elevation (WSE) in Sweden, considering the influence of lake shape on its accuracy.

Objective

• Investigate the feasibility of using SWOT data to complement in situ measurements of WSE in Swedish lakes

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 62 lakes across Sweden with varying sizes and morphologies
• Temporal Scale: August 2023 to November 2025, covering different seasons and ice conditions

Methodology and Data

• Models used: SWOT pixel-cloud algorithm for estimating WSE
• Data sources: In situ measurements of WSE in Swedish lakes, satellite data from the SWOT mission

Main Results

• Mean error of about 5 cm in estimated WSE using SWOT for lakes larger than 1 km²
• Winter ice coverage reduced usable observations in northern lakes, but major WSE changes were still captured when data were available
• Lake morphology influenced SWOT accuracy mainly through shoreline effects reflected by compactness

Contributions

• Provides valuable insights into the performance of SWOT in estimating WSE in Swedish lakes and its limitations due to lake shape
• Highlights the importance of considering lake morphology for accurate WSE estimation using satellite data

Funding

• This research was funded by the Swedish Research Council (VR) under project number 2022-04435, and the European Space Agency (ESA) through the SWOT mission.

Citation

@article{Lindao2026Lake,
  author = {Lindao, David and Jaramillo, Fernando},
  title = {Lake Morphometry Influences the Accuracy of SWOT Estimates of Water Level},
  journal = {Geophysical Research Letters},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1029/2026gl122584},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1029/2026gl122584}
}