The Feasibility of Monitoring Great Plains Playa Inundation with the Sentinel 2A/B Satellites for Ecological and Hydrological Applications

Playas are ecologically and hydrologically important ephemeral wetlands found in arid semi-arid regions of the world. Urbanization, changes agricultural land use irrigation practices, climate change all threaten playas. While variations playa inundation on Great Plains North America have been previously analyzed by satellite using annual decadal time scales, no study to our knowledge has monitored area sub-monthly scales. Thousands playas smaller than ~50 m diameter, which were not identified Landsat platform, can now be captured higher resolution data. In this preliminary study, we demonstrate monitoring spatial temporal water times scales between September 2018 February 2019 over a region West Texas, USA, 10 imagery from Sentinel-2A/B satellites. We also feasibility potential benefits retrievals, combination with precipitation evaporation data, monitor for environmental, ecological, groundwater recharge, hydrological applications.