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Full catalog/OPERA_L3_DSWX-S1_V1
OPERA_L3_DSWX-S1_V1·v1.0·dataset

Where surface water is, mapped by radar (Sentinel-1)

OPERA Dynamic Surface Water Extent from Sentinel-1 (Version 1)
hydrosphere NASA POCLOUD Level 3 active Cloud Optimized GeoTIFF
In plain English

What it measures. This maps where open water sits on the land surface, at 30-meter detail, marking inland water bodies larger than about 3 hectares. It works regardless of clouds, daylight or darkness.

How it's made. Built from Sentinel-1 radar observations into a finished Level-3 map, using radar's ability to see through clouds where optical sensors struggle.

How & where you'd use it. Valuable for tracking floods, monitoring lakes and reservoirs, and watching surface water change over time, including during storms when cloud cover blocks ordinary cameras.

What's measured

TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE › SURFACE WATER › SURFACE WATER PROCESSES/MEASUREMENTS › TOTAL SURFACE WATER

Coverage & cadence

  • Time span2023-12-01 → ongoing
  • Measured bySentinel-1A (SENTINEL-1 C-SAR) · Sentinel-1B (SENTINEL-1 C-SAR)
  • Processing levelLevel 3
  • Spatial extent-180, -84, 180, 84
  • FormatsCloud Optimized GeoTIFF
  • StatusACTIVE

What you can do with it

  • Follow rainfall, floods and surface-water extent
  • Track soil moisture and the onset of drought
  • Monitor lakes, rivers and groundwater storage
Official description

This dataset contains Level-3 Dynamic OPERA Surface Water Extent from Sentinel-1 (DSWx-S1) product version 1. DSWx-S1 provides near-global geographical mapping of surface water extent over land at a spatial resolution of 30 meters over the Military Grid reference System (MGRS) grid system, with a temporal revisit frequency between 6-12 days. Using Sentinel-1 radar observations, DSWx-S1 maps open inland water bodies greater than 3 hectares and 200 meters in width, irrespective of cloud conditions and daylight illumination that often pose challenges to optical sensors. Forward production of the DSWx-S1 data record began in Sept 2024. Each product is distributed as a set of 3 GeoTIFF (Geographic Tagged Image File Format) files including water classification and associated confidence layers. The OPERA DSWx-S1 product contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2024-2025). To access the calibration/validation database for OPERA Dynamic Surface Water Extent Products, please contact podaac@podaac.jpl.nasa.gov OPERA was informed by the Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG), an interagency effort of the U.S. Government dedicated to identifying and addressing Earth observation needs across U.S. civilian federal agencies.

Get the data

opera_l3_dswx-s1_v1_access.py
import earthaccess
earthaccess.login(strategy="netrc")          # free Earthdata Login

results = earthaccess.search_data(
    short_name="OPERA_L3_DSWX-S1_V1",
    version="1.0",
    bounding_box=(-122.5, 37.2, -121.8, 37.9),  # your area (W,S,E,N)
    temporal=("2024-01-01", "2024-12-31"),       # your dates
)
files = earthaccess.open(results)   # stream straight from POCLOUD
Browsing CMR needs no login. Downloading or streaming bytes needs a free Earthdata Login + the earthaccess package.