Advancing River Hydrodynamics Understanding Through SWOT and Multi-Satellite Data Integration

Rivers play a fundamental role in the Earth system by regulating the hydrological cycle, transporting sediment and nutrients, shaping landscapes, and sustaining ecosystems and human societies. Yet, understanding river hydrodynamics has been constrained for decades by scarce ground-based observations and limited spatial coverage. Recent advances in Earth Observation have revolutionized the monitoring of global river systems, providing enhanced spatial and temporal information on surface water dynamics. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission represents a milestone in this evolution, offering high-resolution, global-scale observations of inland water surface elevation, extent, and slope. These data, when integrated with complementary satellite observations such as optical, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and altimetry, and combined with hydrological and hydraulic models, open new avenues for advancing knowledge of river flow patterns and morphology. However, to fully harness these opportunities, significant challenges remain in optimizing data integration, reducing uncertainties, and translating remote sensing observations into actionable riverine parameters.This Research Topic aims to explore how SWOT data, in conjunction with multi-source satellite observations and modelling frameworks, can enhance our understanding of river hydrodynamics across diverse environments. It seeks to address persistent challenges in estimating discharge, channel bathymetry, flow variability, and hydraulic parameters, particularly in complex systems such as braided rivers, floodplains, and ungauged basins. By promoting innovations in data fusion, assimilation, and model–data integration, this Research Topic emphasizes the synergistic use of remote sensing, machine learning, and advanced hydrodynamic models to overcome current limitations. Particular attention is directed toward evaluating anthropogenic impacts on river systems and characterizing sediment transport processes using satellite-derived information. The overarching goal is to build a more comprehensive and predictive understanding of river dynamics that can inform flood forecasting, transboundary river management, water resources planning, and climate change adaptation.The Research Topic encompasses theoretical, methodological, and applied studies focused on the use of SWOT and multi-satellite data integration for river hydrodynamics. It welcomes contributions that advance our capacity to analyze, model, and predict river processes using innovative observational and computational tools. To gather further insights into river system dynamics at local, regional, and global scales, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:- SWOT data processing and validation for riverine applications;- Multi-sensor data fusion (e.g., altimetry, SAR, optical, SWOT) for hydrodynamic characterization;- River discharge estimation, channel bathymetry approximation, and retrieval of hydraulic variables from SWOT observations;- Hydrodynamic model integration with satellite data, including 1D and 2D modelling and their coupling strategies;- Data assimilation, calibration, downscaling, machine learning approaches, and hybrid modelling applied to river systems;- Uncertainty quantification, sensitivity analysis, and error characterization of satellite-derived products;- Applications in floodplain dynamics, extreme events, regulated systems, and ungauged or data-scarce regions;- Sediment transport characterization and suspended load estimation from satellite-derived hydraulic observations. Topic editors: Angelica Tarpanelli, Peter Bauer-Gottwein Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/80223/advancing-river-hydrodynamics-understanding-through-swot-and-multi-satellite-data-integration