Using CYGNSS Data to Monitor China’s Flood Inundation during Typhoon and Extreme Precipitation Events in 2017

Abstract

NASA’s Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System (CYGNSS) mission, launched in 2016, is a small satellite constellation designed to measure the ocean surface wind speed in hurricanes and tropical cyclones. To explore its additional capabilities for applications on the land surface, this study investigated the advantages and limitations of using CYGNSS data to monitor flood inundation during typhoon and extreme precipitation events in southeast China in 2017. The results showed that despite the lack of quantitative evaluation, the CYGNSS-derived surface reflectivity (SR) and flood inundation area was qualitatively consistent with the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM)-derived precipitation and Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP)/Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS)-derived total brightness temperature at circular polarization ( T b C ). The results provide supporting evidence for further designation of Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) reflectometry (GNSS-R) constellations to monitor land surface hydrology.