Floodwaters in Burma - related image preview

540 x 405
JPEG

Floodwaters in Burma - related image preview

2226 x 1250
1012 KB - JPEG

Floodwaters in Burma - related image preview

JPEG

Floodwaters in Burma

In early May 2008, Cyclone Nargis caused widespread flooding in Burma (Myanmar). Besides trying to assist the storm survivors, the international community also tried to determine the extent of flooding, but making such a determination can be difficult. Researchers at the University of Maryland’s Department of Geography developed a method of detecting floodwater by examining multiple sources of information to provide a better—though not perfect—picture of flooded areas.


Image by Robert Simmon based on data from the Department of Geography, University of Maryland. The flood extent product shown here was made possible, in part, by funding from NASA (NASA.NNX08AH05A PI John Townshend) and through the use of NASA MODIS satellite data products. The MODIS Vegetation Continuous Fields data set is available from the Global Land Cover Facility. Caption by Michon Scott and Rebecca Lindsey, based on interpretation by Mark Carroll, Department of Geography, University of Maryland.

Published May 16, 2008
Data acquired May 5, 2008

Source:
Terra > MODIS