The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine on June 6th, 2023, produced an enormous flooding in the entire Kherson region. Thousands of people and agricultural fields were affected, bringing down an economy already devastated by the ongoing war. In addition to that, in the months prior to the collapse, the water level in the reservoir has been firstly decreased to a minimum, before rising it to an all-time maximum. Both these two situations are studied by means of Sentinel-1 SAR images, using the so-called change detection technique, with the aim of identifying those areas that got covered by water due to the Lake Kakhovka level rise and due to the flooding in the downstream region of the dam. The obtained results are then validated through comparison with optical images from Sentinel-2 and Landsat 9 satellites. The initial validation involves a visual assessment of both data types, followed by a more in-depth analysis that includes pixel classification of the optical images. This final step enables a precise quantification and comparison of the extent of the damage. It is clear that the increase of the water level before the dam collapse has worsened the extension and effect of the subsequent flooding.
The Nova Kakhovka dam collapse flooding as seen from Sentinel-1 SAR satellite images
Roberto Monti;Lorenzo Rossi;Mirko Reguzzoni
2024-01-01
Abstract
The destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam in Ukraine on June 6th, 2023, produced an enormous flooding in the entire Kherson region. Thousands of people and agricultural fields were affected, bringing down an economy already devastated by the ongoing war. In addition to that, in the months prior to the collapse, the water level in the reservoir has been firstly decreased to a minimum, before rising it to an all-time maximum. Both these two situations are studied by means of Sentinel-1 SAR images, using the so-called change detection technique, with the aim of identifying those areas that got covered by water due to the Lake Kakhovka level rise and due to the flooding in the downstream region of the dam. The obtained results are then validated through comparison with optical images from Sentinel-2 and Landsat 9 satellites. The initial validation involves a visual assessment of both data types, followed by a more in-depth analysis that includes pixel classification of the optical images. This final step enables a precise quantification and comparison of the extent of the damage. It is clear that the increase of the water level before the dam collapse has worsened the extension and effect of the subsequent flooding.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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