OPERA DSWx-S1: Global 30m Surface Water Mapping from Radar

Sentinel-1 radar data enables mapping of inland water bodies larger than 3 hectares and 200 meters wide, irrespective of cloud cover or daylight. The OPERA DSWx-S1 product provides a near-global, 30-meter resolution classification of surface water extent, updated every 6-12 days. Each data product is distributed as a set of three GeoTIFF files, including water classification and confidence layers.

Use Cases

• Flood extent monitoring based on radar-derived water classification unaffected by weather.
• Tracking seasonal changes in lakes and wetlands based on the 6-12 day revisit frequency.
• Validating hydrological models using the 30-meter resolution water extent maps.
• Assessing water resource availability in regions with persistent cloud cover.

Strengths

• Provides all-weather, day-and-night observation capability using Sentinel-1 radar.
• Offers a specific spatial resolution of 30 meters and maps water bodies larger than 3 hectares.
• Has a defined temporal revisit frequency of 6-12 days for monitoring change.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata, Data.gov, and AWS indicates established importance.

Limitations

• Metadata for row count, size, and specific columns is consistently missing across all platforms.
• The license is listed as CC-BY-4.0 on some platforms but 'other-license-specified' on Data.gov, creating ambiguity.
• Forward production began in September 2024, so the historical data record is currently limited.

Provenance

Source

POCLOUD (NASA), using modified Copernicus Sentinel data.

Collection Method

Satellite radar observation and processing via the OPERA (Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis) project.

Time Range

2024-2025 (from the description of containing modified Copernicus Sentinel data). Forward production began September 2024.

Freshness

2026-04-09 23:26:21.942192

Geography

Near-global geographical mapping over land.