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hvaras edited this page May 28, 2026 · 10 revisions

Welcome to the Altimetry Water Level Data Management Tool (AltimetryWaterLevelDMT) wiki!

In this wiki the handling of this tool is explained through guides.

📌 Explanation of text colors

Want to work with different basin(s)? Change inputs where $\color{#00AB39}{\text{the text is green colored}}$ and follow the subsequent steps in the guides.

Want to download recent data from dataprocessing center websites? Find $\color{#F28100}{\text{the orange colored texts}}$ and follow the subsequent steps in the guides.

How to create an account on dataprocessing center websites to access satellite data

Downloading CLMS, Dahiti and Hydroweb data requires an account.

CLMS

  1. Go to dataspace.copernicus.eu
  2. Click on Your profile. Register and follow the instructions of the website or login if you already have an user.
CLMS_guide_1
  1. Copy your username and password and insert in an empty excel file. Username should be in field A1 and password in field A2. Save the excel file as CSV. Store the CSV in the folder Files2Download_CLMS_Data is stored. The name of the CSV file should be CLMS_credentials_Name.csv. Insert your name instead of Name.
  2. Copy the name of the CSV file and insert in python code as shown in the guide for using python scripts.

Dahiti

  1. Go to Registration page and create an account.
  2. Sign in. If login is failed write an email to christian.schwatke@tum.de. Or try request a new password here
  3. Click My Profile and scroll down where API-Key appears.
Dahiti_guide1
  1. Click Request/Renew API-Key. Copy the API-Key and insert in python code as shown in the guide for using python scripts.

Hydroweb

  1. Go to Registration page and create an account.
  2. Sign in.
  3. Click User settings and the API-Key appears at the top of the pop-up window.
hydroweb_guide1
  1. Click Create and copy the API-Key and insert in python code as shown in the guide for using python scripts.

How to use python scripts for downloading the newest satellite data from the dataprocessing center websites

CLMS

  1. Go to folder Files2Download_CLMS_Data. Make sure the CSV file CLMS_credentials_Name.csv is in this folder.
  2. Open python script Download_CLMS_data.py and insert the name of the CSV file CLMS_credentials_Name.csv on line 30. Change line 33 if needed - see comment on line 33.
  3. Before the python script can download data for a specific basin, there are some extra steps to make. Go to River Water Level 2002-present (vector), global, Near Real Time – version 2.
  4. Click this CSV resource and download the CSV file. Store the CSV file in folder Files2Download_CLMS_Data. This CSV file contains all CLMS stations in the world. $\color{#F28100}{\text{(Download this CSV file again when the newest data is needed and follow the next steps.)}}$
CLMS_guide_2
  1. Open CLMS_CSV2MatFile.m. Make sure the CSV filename is correctly written on line 8. Run Matlab script to convert CSV to a Matlab file called CLMS_CSV2MAT.mat
  2. Open CLMS_Extract_Stations_from CSV.m. Change the path of files on line 7-12. $\color{#00AB39}{\text{If working on other basin(s), then change the name of the basin(s) on line 20 and 25.}}$
  3. Run Matlab script. It will take around 8-10 minutes. The output file is a CSV file called CLMS_Basinname_Station_Information.csv (Basinname indicates the desired basin) and contains only the CLMS stations inside the desired basin(s). Make sure the CSV file is in folder Files2Download_CLMS_Data.
  4. Go back to the python script Download_CLMS_data.py.
  5. Insert the name of the CSV file (CLMS_Basinname_Station_Information.csv) on line 42.
  6. Open Spyder or other program and run the python script. Ignore the error Status code: 422, which appears because the first row in the CSV file contains the title for each columns.
  7. A new folder, called downloads appears in the folder, which contains the downloaded files. Rename the folder to Raw_CLMS_basinname. Give the name of the downloaded basin instead of basinname.
  8. In folder Files2Download_CLMS_Data find the Matlab file Unique_CLMS_data.m. Open it and change the path of files on line 5-6. Run the script. The output is a Matlab file called Selected_CLMS_Stations.mat

Dahiti

⚠️ The download of data is limited to 250 stations for every 24 hours.

  1. Open python script Download_Dahiti_data.py
  2. Insert API key on line 35.
  3. $\color{#00AB39}{\text{If working on other basin(s), change the area of interest by giving max and min of latitude and longitude on line 65-68.}}$
  4. On line 91 change the number given in [ ]. When running the script for the first time, enter 1. After that, the amount of downloaded data determines the next number given in [ ] after 24 hours are pased by. After that, the amount of downloaded data determines the next number entered in [ ] after 24 hours have passed.
  5. Open Spyder or other program and run the python script. $\color{#F28100}{\text{(When the data of basin needs to be updated, run the python script again and follow the next steps.)}}$
  6. The Dahiti data appears in the computer’s Downloads folder. Create a folder named Dahiti_basinname, where basinname indicates the name of the downloaded basin. Move the Dahiti data from Downloads folder to Dahiti_basinname folder.
  7. Change the number given in [ ] on line 91 based on the amount of downloaded data, so the script is ready to run again after 24 hours to download the next 250 stations.

Hydroweb

  1. Open python script Download_Hydroweb_data.py
  2. Insert API key on line 42.
  3. Add the area of interest by giving the max and min of latitude and longitude inside bbox on line 51. The order of giving the coordinates is shown on line 47. $\color{#00AB39}{\text{ If working on other basin(s), change the area of interest.}}$
  4. On line 51 make sure the identifier is HYDROWEB_RIVERS_OPE.
  5. Open Spyder or other program and run the python script. $\color{#F28100}{\text{(When the data of basin needs to be updated, run the python script again and follow the next steps.)}}$
  6. A new folder named my_hydroweb_data(given date).zip_ appears. Change the name of the folder to Hydroweb_basinname, where basinname indicates the name of the downloaded basin.

How to use the Matlab scripts from the main folder

⚠️ The scripts were created using MATLAB version R2024b. Using an older version may result in errors.

Extract_CLMS_data.m

  1. Open Extract_CLMS_data.m
  2. Change inputs on line 14-111. Following variables are frequently adjusted:
  • TempCoveragePct
  • MaxDays
  • startperiod
  • endperiod

$\color{#00AB39}{\text{When working on another basin, the following variables need to be changed:}}$

  • PlaceOfFiles
  • BasinName
  1. Run the script.

Extract_Dahiti_data.m

  1. Open Extract_Dahiti_data.m
  2. Change inputs on line 17-121. Following variables are frequently changed:
  • TempCoveragePct
  • MaxDays
  • startperiod
  • endperiod

$\color{#00AB39}{\text{When working on another basin, the following variables need to be changed:}}$

  • PlaceOfFiles
  • BasinName
  • VectorBasinName1
  • VectorBasinName2 (If there are 2 basins.)
  • NumberOfVectorBasins (If VectorBasinName2 is also used, set the input to 2.)
  1. Run the script.

Extract_Hydroweb_data.m

  1. Open Extract_Hydroweb_data.m
  2. Change inputs on line 17-119. Following variables are frequently changed:
  • TempCoveragePct
  • MaxDays
  • startperiod
  • endperiod

$\color{#00AB39}{\text{When working on another basin, the following variables need to be changed:}}$

  • PlaceOfFiles
  • BasinName
  • VectorBasinName1
  • VectorBasinName2 (If there are 2 basins.)
  • NumberOfVectorBasins (If VectorBasinName2 is also used, set the input to 2.)
  1. Run the script.

Analysis_ProcessingCentres_Data.m

⚠️ The Matlab file Analysis_ProcessingCentres_Data.m can only be used when the folder Saved_Matlab_Files with the subfolder Basinname_Extracted_Stations contains the Matlab files of 3 dataprocessing centres from the same period of year. Those Matlab files are generated from Matlab files Extract_Basinname_data.m based on second selection.

  1. Open the Matlab file Analysis_ProcessingCentres_Data.m
  2. Change following inputs:
  • Path of files on line 325 and 326
  • PeriodYear

$\color{#00AB39}{\text{When working on another basin, the following also needs to be changed:}}$

  • Path of files on line 16
  • numBasins
  • Basin1
  • Basin2
  1. Optional: To change the number of time series plots shown in the figure window, modify the value (9) on lines 276, 289, 297, and 307.
  2. Run the script.

Adding custome shapefiles

If you wish to use other shapefiles to work with, instead of the 33 main world basin vectors, do the following steps:

  1. Under the folder BackgroundFiles create a new folder and name it Custom_shapefiles.
  2. Add the desired shapefile to the folder Custom_shapefiles.
  3. Open the Matlab file shapefile2vec.m and on line 11 change the name of the imported shapefile.
  4. On line 20 add the name of the attribute from the shapefile that wil determine what the created vec files would be called. The names of the vec files would indicate the names for specific areas.
  5. On line 30 the amount of decimals for coordinates can be changed.
  6. Run the Matlab file shapefile2vec.m. The vec files are saved in a folder named Custom_vec_files Feel free to rename the folder, so it reveals its content.
  7. In the Matlab file for Dahiti and Hydroweb (Extract_basinname_data.m) change the path given for basinVectors to the renamed folder Custom_vec_files.

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