An era of Sentinels in flood management: Potential of Sentinel-1, -2, and -3 satellites for effective flood management

Abstract

Abstract The repetitive and destructive nature of floods across the globe causes significant economic damage, loss of human lives, and leaves the people living in flood-prone areas with fear and insecurity. With enough literature projecting an increase in flood frequency, severity, and magnitude in the future, there is a clear need for effective flood management strategies and timely implementation. The earth observatory satellites of the European Space Agency’s Sentinel series, Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, and Sentinel-3, have a great potential to combat these disastrous floods by their peerless surveillance capabilities that could assist in various phases of flood management. In this article, the technical specifications and operations of the microwave synthetic aperture radar (SAR) onboard Sentinel-1, optical sensors onboard Sentinel-2 (Multispectral Instrument) and Sentinel-3 (Ocean and Land Color Instrument), and SAR altimeter onboard Sentinel-3 are described. Moreover, the observational capabilities of these three satellites and how these observations can meet the needs of researchers and flood disaster managers are discussed in detail. Furthermore, we reviewed how these satellites carrying a range of technologies that provide a broad spectrum of earth observations stand out among their predecessors and have bought a step-change in flood monitoring, understanding, and management to mitigate their adverse effects. Finally, the study is concluded by highlighting the revolution this fleet of Sentinel satellites has brought in the flood management studies and applications.