Novel estimation of shallow water bathymetry using ICESat-2 laser altimetry, signal processing and machine learning and Sentinel-2 optical data in a highly automated approach

The project “Novel estimation of shallow water bathymetry using ICESat-2 laser altimetry, signal processing and machine learning and Sentinel-2 optical data in a highly automated approach” was funded under the European Space Agencies’ Open Space Innovation Platform (OSIP). The overall objective was to build a self-calibrating and efficient bathymetry mapping system by leveraging accurate and consistent ICESat-2 laser altimeter data as a calibration source for high-resolution Copernicus Sentinel-2 based water depth retrievals. The combination of these two free and open satellite data sources with advanced machine learning and Bayesian optimisation enables a more accurate and efficient mapping of the world’s shallow waters.