Flood and Substance Transportation Analysis Using Satellite Elevation Data: A Case Study in Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Abstract

This study investigated the vertical accuracy of satellite elevation data and its effect on flood and substance transportation analysis by using a two-dimensional flood simulation model. SRTM, AW3D, and ASTER GDEM satellite elevation data for East Dhaka, Bangladesh were used for evaluating the vertical accuracy and conducting numerical analyses. A case study in 2007 was simulated for the flooding analysis. The results showed that AW3D had the highest applicability because its vertical accuracy for low-lying areas was better than that of the other products. According to the differences in the flood extent of each satellite elevation data, the simulation results of the substance transportation analysis showed different spreading conditions. Furthermore, differences in the flood velocity and direction affected the distribution of the deposited substance.