Environmental Management Hazards

Environmental Management Hazards

Automatic and Fast Flood Monitoring Using Remote Sensing Data and the GEE System (Study Area: Abdollah Abad Watershed, Semnan Province)

Document Type : Applied Article

Authors
Peyman Peymankhah 1
Meysam Argany 2
Saeid Hamzeh 2
1 PhD Student of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Iran
10.22059/jhsci.2026.412893.932
Abstract
Objective: This study investigates the automated and rapid monitoring of floods using remote sensing data and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) system in the Abdullah Abad watershed, Semnan Province. The aim of this study is to develop an efficient and automated method for identifying and monitoring floods in the shortest possible time using satellite data and rapid processing within the GEE platform.
Methodology: This research was conducted using time-series data from Sentinel-1 and Landsat-8 satellites, along with other auxiliary datasets, within the GEE system. To monitor floods, the physiographic characteristics of the watershed were first examined, and the hydrological soil groups of the region were extracted to analyze the relationship between geological features and flood occurrence. Subsequently, an interactive web-based user interface was developed within the Earth Engine Apps platform, which automatically identifies and displays flood-affected areas. This interface, by integrating radar and optical data, detects water surface changes and classifies flood probability into three levels: low, medium, and high.
Findings: The results demonstrated that the developed method can accurately identify flood-affected areas. Comparing flood monitoring maps with hydrological soil group maps confirmed a direct correlation between soil permeability and flood intensity. Areas with low permeability exhibited the highest likelihood of flooding, with flood-affected regions mainly located upstream of Abdullahabad village. Additionally, the low-slope plains in the region provided favorable conditions for flood expansion.
Conclusion: This study revealed that the use of satellite imagery and automated processing in online systems can serve as an efficient tool for rapid flood monitoring and crisis management. The proposed method enables timely access to critical information for planning preventive measures and emergency response actions.
Keywords
Flood monitoring
Remote Sensing
Sentinel-1
GEE
Landsat-8
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Environmental Management Hazards
Volume 13, Issue 1
Spring 2026
Pages 21-36