ASTER Global Water Bodies Database with Elevation Data

NASA's ASTER Global Water Bodies Database (ASTWBD) Version 1 provides a global inventory of water bodies larger than 0.2 square kilometers at 30-meter resolution, paired with elevation information. The dataset was created by the Sensor Information Laboratory Corporation (SILC) using ASTER imagery collected between March 2000 and November 2013 to correct water surface elevations in the corresponding digital elevation model. It classifies features into ocean, lake, or river categories, with manual corrections applied for sea ice and river delineation.

Use Cases

• Correcting digital elevation models by flattening water surface elevations for oceans and lakes.
• Mapping global surface water extent and classifying water body types (ocean, river, lake).
• Analyzing shoreline dynamics, particularly in high-latitude regions where sea ice effects were manually removed.
• Studying river network topography and elevation gradients from upstream to downstream.
• Providing a foundational water mask for land cover classification and environmental monitoring.

Strengths

• Global coverage from 83°N to 83°S, capturing a wide range of latitudes.
• High spatial resolution of 1 arc-second (approximately 30 meters at the equator).
• Includes manual quality control, such as the removal of sea ice effects to improve shoreline accuracy.
• Provides associated elevation data (DEM) for each classified water body.

Limitations

• Source platforms conflict on the last updated date (datagov lists 2026-03 - likely a placeholder, while nasa_earthdata lists 2013-11-30).
• Data is derived from a specific time range (2000-2013) and may not reflect recent changes.
• Rivers required manual detection methods, which may introduce inconsistencies or limit completeness.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Sensor Information Laboratory Corporation (SILC).

Collection Method

Generated from ASTER Level 1A satellite imagery, with water bodies separated from land and classified into ocean, river, or lake categories using automated and manual methods.

Time Range

2000-03-01 to 2013-11-30

Freshness

2013-11-30

Geography

Global, 83°N to 83°S.