The NASA Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis (OPERA) project is pleased to announce the release of a new Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based product, the Surface Disturbance Alert from Sentinel-1 (DIST-ALERT-S1), developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). This innovative product maps changes to the Earth's surface by leveraging SAR observations from the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-1 mission and can be used in concert with the OPERA optical disturbance products.
The DIST-ALERT-S1 products map disturbances from Sentinel-1 SAR backscatter data, including disturbances related to loss of vegetation, urban development, crop rotations, fires, landslides, drought, and floods. Products support interpretation and integration into existing workflows, including those related to the existing optical Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 products (DIST-ALERT-HLS) distributed by LPDAAC. The DIST-ALERT-S1 is delivered in an analysis-ready, cloud-optimized format for efficient access. Because the product is derived from SAR backscatter data, it exhibits all-weather mapping capability regardless of cloud cover or daytime illumination. The product’s validation was led by the Global Land Analysis and Discovery Laboratory at the University of Maryland, College Park to ensure project requirements were met.
This solution is funded by NASA and is a deliverable of 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." Data are available through NASA Earthdata Search, with ongoing updates planned to expand coverage and improve product performance.
The OPERA DIST-ALERT-S1 product contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data (2026). Learn more about the OPERA Disturbance Products.