NASA's Updated Near Real-Time Global Flood Product

NASA has released an updated near real-time global flood map product, based on twice-daily MODIS observations. The short name for the MODIS Near Real-Time (NRT) Global Flood Product is MCDWD. This updated product replaces a PI-maintained system that had delivered flood maps since 2012. The updated product is generated by a more robust processing facility, which also provides additional distribution mechanisms, including web-based global browser. The core water detection algorithm remains the same, but several improvements have been incorporated to reduce false-positives and enhance the compositing process. Additional advancements are on the horizon, including incorporation of VIIRS imagery (to replace the near end-of-life MODIS sensors), and further out, possibly Sentinel-3 OLCI.