Global monthly land surface water mapping using three water indices from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2

Summary of Version 2.0 Updates
This version (v2.0) extends the data record to include the period from January 2022 to December 2024. Combined with the previous version (v1.0), this repository now provides a continuous global record of surface water dynamics from 2019 through 2024.

Description
This dataset provides monthly global land surface water mapping using water indices derived from Earth observation satellite data. It was generated using imagery from two satellite missions: Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2.

The dataset includes three water indices:

• NDWI2 (Normalized Difference Water Index)
• MNDWI (Modified Normalized Difference Water Index)
• WI2015 (Water Index 2015)

Methodology
A pixel was classified as water if the average index value within each month exceeded 0, and as non-water otherwise. The dataset maintains a spatial resolution of 300 m. Each dataset is provided in GeoTIFF format, which can be visualized and analyzed using GIS software. This dataset can be used for hydrological studies, flood monitoring, and water resource management.

Temporal Coverage

• Version 2.0 (New): January 2022 to December 2024
• Version 1.0: January 2019 to December 2021

This dataset provides the foundational data for the following manuscript published in Scientific Data: A Global Multi-Sensor Dataset of Surface Water Indices from Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2 Satellite Measurements (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-025-05562-z).