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Active Archive of Large Floods, 1985-Present

• 2008 Map
• 2008 Table
• 2007 Map
• 2007 Table
• Global and Regional Analyses

Master Index of Inundation Maps

World Atlas of Flooded Lands

• Index Map (access the atlas sheets)

River Watch

Other Flood Detection Tools

Sample Images and Maps

Staff

Publications

Flood Detection Tools

This is a collection of tools that the Observatory uses to detect and locate floods each day. In particular, SeaWinds microwave scatterometer data from the NASA QuikSCAT satellite, AMSR-E daily soil moisture products (from the AQUA satellite) and MODIS optical imaging provide frequent updates of surface water conditions world-wide.

Weather Satellite Information (current images)

Multispectral NOAA-AVHRR 1 km resolution data are useful for flood imaging once radiometrically calibrated and geocoded. However, success depends on finding gaps in local cloud cover matching times of AVHRR LAC (tape recorded) data acquisitions. The following links are to current, lower resolution satellite images which assist in selecting appropriate search windows for AVHRR, MODIS, or other higher resolution sensors.

Northern Europe and Russia (NOAA 12)

Southern Russia (NOAA 14)

Africa and Europe (Meteorosat)

India (GOMS-1)

Japan and E China (Goes IR)

Australia (Goes 5)

South America (Goes 8 IR)

North America IR

East Pacific/Western North America (Goes 9)

Global Satellite Mosaic

Direct Questions to:
Bob Brakenridge
Elaine Anderson

This work is made possible by data obtained by NASA, JAXA, ESA, and other space agencies, and by funding support from the Earth Surface and Interior Focus Area and the Applied Sciences Program, Science Mission Directorate, NASA, and from the European Commission, through the GDACS project, Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy.