Surface Water Microwave Product Series Version 3: A Near-Real Time and 25-Year Historical Global Inundated Area Fraction Time Series From Active and Passive Microwave Remote Sensing

Abstract

This letter summarizes substantial modifications made to the Surface Water Microwave Product Series (SWAMPS), a coarse-resolution (similar to 25 km) global inundated area fraction data record derived from active and passive microwave remote sensing. SWAMPS is the most temporally dense, long-term record of global surface water dynamics publicly available today. This update improves upon the original release by: 1) incorporating a customized, consistent resampling and assembly of the Special Sensor Microwave Imager and Special Sensor Microwave Imager Sounder brightness temperature record; 2) eliminating signal contamination from ocean waters along coastlines; 3) inclusion of permanent surface waters as a component of the data record; and 4) reducing anomalous inundation retrievals over arid and semiarid regions. This update provides for the enhanced scientific utility of the full 25+ years of data records. Remaining uncertainties in the surface water fraction retrievals are principally in areas with bare, sandy surface cover and in areas with dense vegetation cover that diminishes radiometric sensitivity to surface water. This data record and associated documentation are freely available through the Alaska Satellite Facility, Fairbanks, AK, USA.