Water Detection
Delineate permanent and seasonal water bodies, map flood extent, monitor wetland health, and track coastal shoreline change. Water indices exploit the strong absorption of near-infrared and shortwave infrared radiation by liquid water, creating a measurable contrast against shorter wavelengths.
Recommended indices (4)
These indices are most commonly used for water detection. Click any index to see the full formula, sensor-specific implementations, and code samples.
Used to detect water bodies and monitor water content in vegetation. Positive values typically indicate water presence.
(Green - NIR) / (Green + NIR)The Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI) was developed by Xu (2006) as an improvement over the original NDWI. By substituting the NIR band with SWIR, MNDWI can enhance open water features while efficiently suppressing noise from built-up areas, vegetation, and soil. This makes it particularly suitable for water detection in urban environments.
(Green - SWIR) / (Green + SWIR)The Land Surface Water Index (LSWI) was developed by Xiao et al. to monitor vegetation and soil water content. LSWI is sensitive to liquid water in vegetation due to strong SWIR absorption by water. It is widely used for drought monitoring, water stress detection, and integration into vegetation productivity models.
(NIR - SWIR) / (NIR + SWIR)Water Ratio Index - A spectral index for water applications.
(G + R)/(N + S1)Not sure which one fits your project?
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Other applications
Track plant health, yield prediction, irrigation needs
Detect active fires and assess post-fire damage
Identify clay, iron oxides, hydrothermal alteration
Built-up area extraction and impervious surfaces
Canopy assessment, deforestation, biomass