Modeling and Mapping High Water Table for a Coastal Region in Florida using Lidar DEM Data

Predicting and mapping high water table elevation in coastal landscapes is critical for both science application projects like inundation risk analysis and engineering projects like pond design and maintenance. Previous studies of water table mapping focused on the application of geostatistical methods, which cannot predict values beyond an observation spatial domain or generate an ideal pattern for regions with sparse measurements. In this study, we evaluated the multiple linear regression (MLR) and support vector machine (SVM) techniques for high water table prediction and mapping using fine spatial resolution lidar-derived Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data, and designed an application protocol of these two techniques for high water table mapping in a coastal landscape where groundwater, tide, and surface water are related. Testing results showed that SVM largely improved the high water table prediction with a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.22 feet and root mean square error (RMSE) of 2.22 feet compared to the application of the ordinary Kriging method which could not generate a reasonable water table. MLR was also promising with a MAE of around 2 feet and RMSE of around 3 feet. The study suggests that both MLR and SVM are valuable alternatives to estimate high water table elevation in Florida. Fine resolution lidar DEMs are beneficial for high water table prediction and mapping.