UBathy (v2.0): A Software to Obtain the Bathymetry from Video Imagery

Abstract

UBathy is an open source software developed for bathymetry estimation from video images. The proposed scheme is based on extracting the wave modes from videos of the nearshore surface wave propagation. These videos can be formed either from raw camera images, which must have been previously calibrated, or from georeferenced planviews. For each wave mode extracted from the videos, the wave frequency and the spatially dependent wavenumbers are obtained. The frequencies and wavenumbers from different videos are used to estimate the bathymetry by adjusting the dispersion relationship for linear surface water waves. The bathymetry at different times can further be weighted and aggregated using the Kalman filter. The new software is suitable for Argus-type video monitoring stations and for moving cameras mounted on drones or satellites, and it is meant for users familiar with coastal image processing and suitable for non-experienced users. The software and an application example are available on the GitHub platform.

Keywords

• bathymetry
• video monitoring
• remote sensing
• beach
• nearshore
• coastal zone