MODIS Flood Maps


Data Access
Overview
Floods are determined by use of daily MODIS 250 meter data, processed via decision tree algorithm to determine presence of water. The resultant map is compared to a static water mask to identify deviations, which are then labeled as flood. The method is limited by the sensor which is limited to visible observations, hence clouds obscure the view. An example of this process is the 2008 US Midwest floods, occurring due to unusually heavy rains in the northern Midwest causing flooding all down the Mississippi basin.

Code Values
Label RGB Red Value RGB Green Value RGB Blue Value Color
land 178 178 178 grey
water 0 0 255 blue
flood 255 0 0 red
cloud 255 255 255 white

How to Cite This Data Set
Citation Format: Author (Publication Date), Collection Name, Product Name, Version, Collection Publisher, Publisher Location, Product Coverage Date.

Citation Parameters Example:
  • Author: Carroll, M.L., DiMiceli, C.M., Townshend, J.R.G., Sohlberg, R.A., Noojipady, P.
  • Publication Date: 2008
  • Collection Name: MODIS Flood Map; {specify particular flood event, from description page}
  • Product Name: {specify file name}
  • Version: 1.0
  • Publisher: University of Maryland
  • Publisher Location: College Park, Maryland
  • Product Coverage Date: 2008
Full Example Citation: Carroll, M.L., DiMiceli, C.M., Townshend, J.R.G., Sohlberg, R.A., Noojipady, P. (2008), MODIS Flood Map; 2008 US Midwest Flood, MOD_FLOOD.2008158.Midwest.Geog, version 1.0, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, 2008.
Intellectual Property Rights
University of Maryland; Department of Geography; use is free to all if acknowledgement is made. UMD holds ultimate copyright.

Source
As a courtesy, please credit the Global Land Cover Facility (GLCF) as the source for this data set in some manner. Our suggestion: Source for this data set was the Global Land Cover Facility, www.landcover.org.