Dartmouth Flood Observatory

Global Flood Detection, Mapping, and Measurement

Current Mapping: Updated flood map of the Kosi River, India, September 2

Current Mapping: Flooding in the Bihar region of India, August 24

Additional Map: Flooding in the Bihar region of India, August 24, with previously unflooded lands highlighted (use this map to compare present and past flooding)

News reports and these maps indicate that the Kosi River has moved into a different channel

Current Mapping: Flooding in Thailand and Laos, August 15 (GoogleEarth and jpeg samples)

Current Flooding

Click on map for tabular information and access to inundation maps, 2007-present

Click here for tabular information and map access, 1985-present (large htm document, not updated as frequently)

An xml version of tabular data is also available

An .xls version of tabular data is also available

Flood-generating Watersheds (under development)

Provided by River Watch , and special processing of NASA/Japanese Space Agency AMSR-E data through a collaborative effort between the Joint Research Centre, Ispra, Italy (GDACS project) and Dartmouth College.

Current 7-day Wet and Dry Runoff Anomalies, based on AMSR-E River Discharge Measurements (under development)

Provided by River Watch , special processing of NASA/Japanese Space Agency AMSR-E data, and our global watershed database. Yellow watersheds: runoff < 90% mean for this seven day period. Red watersheds: runoff > 160% for this seven day period.

We use orbital remote sensing to detect, measure, and map river discharge and river flooding, world-wide. Observatory activities include:

River Watch, a satellite-based flood measurement and hazard mapping system,
World Atlas of Flooded Lands, a global compilation of all floods mapped,
Active Archive of Major Floods, a catalogue with geographic locations, 1985 to present, and
Rapid Response Inundation Maps, produced and published while floods are underway.

DFO facilitates maximum practical use of the satellite-based information for disaster relief, flood risk assessment, and water resources research. The Observatory is an international clearinghouse for GIS data concerning mapped flood inundation, and we invite your input and support.

New: River Watch combined with MODIS Rapid Response New Water, AMES, Iowa, USA

Recent Maps and Simulated Flyover Movies

2008 Powerpoint non-technical presentation "Satellite-based Flood Detection and Flood Risk Assessment"

Flood Observatory Director: Prof. G. Robert Brakenridge, Departments of Geography and Earth Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH USA

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.