An Experimental Satellite-based Flood Monitoring System for Southern Queensland, Australia

A near real-time system is described, which provides spatial information of inland flood extent, using MOderate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) optical reflectance and Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer (AMSR-E) microwave brightness temperature imagery, and flood volume through combination with a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). This information is an independent and useful addition to point data of gauged river flow at the inand outlet of floodplains, typically only available with some latency, if at all. Comparison of satellite-derived volume estimates with those estimated from flow gauges for flood events on the lower-Balonne floodplain, SouthQueensland, indicates flood volumes generally compare quite well at the onset of the flood events, but start to deviate at the peak flow into the flood recession. This is possibly explained by a combination of ungauged outflows, soil infiltration, evaporation and diversion of flood water into many large open reservoirs for crop irrigation.