We are in the process of migrating all NASA Earth science data sites into Earthdata from now until end of 2026. Not all NASA Earth science data and resources will appear here until then. Thank you for your patience as we make this transition.
Read about the Web Unification Project
Total Surface Water Data Access and Tools
NASA has total surface water datasets that help researchers characterize the extent of water in an area. Access a range of data and data tools to optimize your research.
Total Surface Water Datasets
| Dataset Sort descending | Version | Platforms | Instruments | Temporal Extent | Spatial Extent | Spatial Resolution | Data Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABoVE: Fractional Open Water Cover for Pan-Arctic and ABoVE-Domain Regions, 2002-2015 | 1 | Aqua, GCOM-W1, Terra | AMSR-E, MODIS, AMSR2 | 2002-06-20 to 2015-12-31 |
N: 90 S: 39.383 E: 180 W: -180 |
GeoTIFF | |
| ABoVE: Surface Water Extent, Boreal and Tundra Regions, North America, 1991-2011 | 1.1 | LANDSAT-4, LANDSAT-5, LANDSAT-7 | TM, ETM+ | 1990-01-01 to 2012-12-31 |
N: 82.3729 S: 41.7039 E: -53.9393 W: -177.475 |
GeoTIFF | |
| Global Forest Cover Change Water Cover 2000 Global 30m V001 | 001 | LANDSAT-7, LANDSAT-5, Terra | ETM+, TM, ASTER, MODIS | 1999-06-29 to 2003-01-14 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
30 Meters x 30 Meters | GeoTIFF |
| Location and Permanency of Water Bodies in the African Sahel Region from 2003-2011 | 1 | COMPUTERS, Terra, Aqua | MODIS | 2003-01-01 to 2011-12-31 |
N: 20 S: 10 E: 40 W: -20 |
netCDF-3 | |
| MODIS/Aqua Water Reservoir 8-Day L3 Global V061 | 061 | Aqua | MODIS | 2002-07-04 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF-EOS2 | |
| MODIS/Aqua Water Reservoir Monthly L3 Global V061 | 061 | Aqua | MODIS | 2002-07-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF-EOS2 | |
| MODIS/Terra Land Water Mask Derived from MODIS and SRTM L3 Global 250m SIN Grid V006 | 006 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-01-01 to 2015-12-31 |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
250 Meters x 250 Meters | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Land Water Mask Derived from MODIS and SRTM L3 Global 250m SIN Grid V061 | 061 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-01-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
250 Meters x 250 Meters | HDF-EOS2 |
| MODIS/Terra Water Reservoir 8-Day L3 Global V061 | 061 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-02-26 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF4 | |
| MODIS/Terra Water Reservoir Monthly L3 Global V061 | 061 | Terra | MODIS | 2000-03-01 to Present |
N: 90 S: -90 E: 180 W: -180 |
HDF4 |
SHOWING 10 OF 27
Featured Total Surface Water Observation Method: SWOT
NASA's Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) platform monitors Earth’s surface water using its primary instrument, the Ka-band Radar Interferometer (KaRIn).
Recently released datasets from the SWOT mission provide scientists with previously unavailable measurements of Earth's surface water.
9 MIN READ
Learn how to discover, access, and use Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) mission data and how these data can lead to new, innovative science and applications in the world of water.
Join us on Wed., July 30 at 2:00 p.m. EDT (-04:00 UTC) to explore SWOT hydrology data collections of rivers and lakes, and to learn how to work with SWOT hydrology data using tools provided by both NASA's PO.DAAC and the USGS.
Hydrocron enables users to receive all Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) observations for a specific river ID within a specified date range.
Total Surface Water Data Tools
| Tool Sort descending | Description | Services | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Earthdata Search | Earthdata Search enables data discovery, search, comparison, visualization, and access across NASA’s Earth science data holdings. | Search and Discovery, Access, Cataloging, Cloud Computing, Downloading | |
| Worldview | Worldview offers the capability to interactively browse over 1,200 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and download the underlying data. | Analysis, Search and Discovery, Visualization, Access, Comparison, Monitoring Natural Events |
SHOWING 2 OF 2
Frequently Asked Questions
Earthdata Forum
Our online forum provides a space for users to browse thousands of FAQs about research needs, data, and data applications. You can also submit new questions for our experts to answer.
Submit Questions to Earthdata Forumand View Expert Responses