Evaluation of inundation areas resulting from the diversion of an extreme discharge towards the sea: Case study in Tabasco, Mexico

Abstract

This investigation comprises the hydraulic characterisation of a river located in the Mexican State of Tabasco, including the performance of its flood plain under the action of an extreme river discharge. This is done through the combination of a high-quality validation dataset, remote sensing information, and a standard 2D numerical model. The dataset was collected during an intensive field campaign that took place in August 2009. In particular, in situ measurements of river discharge, bathymetry, water level, and velocities through a whole tidal cycle are employed along with multi-spectral satellite imagery. The purpose of this study is twofold. Firstly, the integrated approach comprising the combination of a 2D hydrodynamic model, high-quality in situ measurements and satellite imagery reduce the uncertainty in the model parameterisation and results. Secondly, it is shown that freely available sources of information, such as the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data can be processed and utilized in 2D hydraulic models. This is particularly important in countries where high-resolution elevation data is not yet available. It is demonstrated that the selected approach is useful when the study of possible consequences in a flood plain induced by an extreme flood discharge are sought. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.