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Remote Sensing of Hydrological Extremes pp 83–103Cite as

Optical and Physical Methods for Mapping Flooding with Satellite Imagery

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Part of the book series: Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry ((SPRINGERREMO))

Abstract

Flood and surface water mapping is becoming increasingly necessary, as extreme flooding events worldwide can damage crop yields and contributing to billions of dollars economic damages as well as social effects including fatalities and destroyed communities. Utilizing earth observing satellite data to map standing water from space is indispensable to flood mapping for disaster response, mitigation, prevention and warning. Researchers have demonstrated countless methods and modifications of those methods to help increase knowledge of areas at risk and areas that are flooded using remote sensing data. This chapter will review methods for mapping floods and open water using spectral formulas and statistical methods commenting on false color composite techniques with optical data, physical models using radar and ancillary data. Methods will be demonstrated over the Lower Mekong Basin to demonstrate visual impacts of the differences over the same study area. The increase in the quantity and variety of flood mapping techniques using satellite data has allowed broader and less-technical audiences to be able to benefit from flood products and may help to mitigate pervasive economic and social damages caused by flooding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Jessica Fayne B.A., M.S.

  2. Hydrological Sciences Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

    John Bolten & Aakash Ahamed M.Sc.

  3. Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    Venkat Lakshmi

  4. School of Earth, Ocean and Environment, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA

    Venkat Lakshmi

Authors
  1. Jessica Fayne B.A., M.S.
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  2. John Bolten
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  3. Venkat Lakshmi
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  4. Aakash Ahamed M.Sc.
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Correspondence to Jessica Fayne B.A., M.S. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geophysics, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA

    Venkat Lakshmi

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Fayne, J., Bolten, J., Lakshmi, V., Ahamed, A. (2017). Optical and Physical Methods for Mapping Flooding with Satellite Imagery. In: Lakshmi, V. (eds) Remote Sensing of Hydrological Extremes. Springer Remote Sensing/Photogrammetry. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-43744-6_5

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