Extraction of flooded areas due to the 2011 central Thailand flood using aster and TerraSAR-X data

In this study, the flooded areas following the 2011 central Thailand flood were extracted using VNIR and TIR images of ASTER and ScanSAR-mode images of TerraSAR-X. The existence of water body was easily recognized for open spaces without trees and buildings from the NDVI value. The surface temperature was also found to be effective in detecting floods in a wide open space although it is limited by its coarse spatial resolution. The SAR intensity images were the most effective because water surfaces showed weak backscatter and they can be acquired at nighttime and under cloud-cover conditions. The extracted results were validated by a high-resolution optical satellite image.