Landsat Reveals Reservoir Changes And Bathymetry

New datasets track surface water transitions and 3D lake bathymetry globally

Apr. 1, 2026 at 2:32am

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Two new studies using Landsat satellite data provide unprecedented insights into the dynamics of lakes and reservoirs worldwide. The first study tracked permanent changes in surface water extent from 1984 to 2022, while the second created a global 3D bathymetry dataset for over 500,000 water bodies to better understand water storage capacity.

Why it matters

Monitoring changes in surface water and reservoir bathymetry is crucial for managing critical freshwater resources that communities rely on for drinking, irrigation, hydroelectric power, and more. These new datasets complement in-situ water level data to give a more comprehensive understanding of water availability and storage.

The details

The University of Southampton team used Landsat data to identify where water advanced or retreated from 1984 to 2022, creating the first global dataset pinpointing the exact year of permanent surface water changes. Researchers from Texas A&M University then fused Landsat and ICESat-2 data to build a global bathymetry dataset called '3D-LAKES' that enables water managers to estimate reservoir storage capacity.

  • The surface water transitions dataset covers the period from July 31, 1985 to November 10, 2025.
  • The 3D-LAKES bathymetry dataset is static, as underwater topography does not tend to change significantly year-to-year.

The players

Gustavo Willy Nagel

Lead researcher on the surface water transitions study from the University of Southampton.

Chi-Hsiang Huang

Lead author of the 3D-LAKES bathymetry study from Texas A&M University.

Huilin Gao

Researcher who led the team that created the 3D-LAKES dataset at Texas A&M University.

International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC)

The organization that jointly manages the Amistad Reservoir on the Texas-Mexico border for flood control, recreation, and hydroelectric power.

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What they’re saying

“The dataset is showing, for every location on the planet, areas where water advanced or retracted and the year of that change.”

— Gustavo Willy Nagel, Lead researcher

“This dataset can support many applications, from monitoring water storage to refining hydrological models.”

— Chi-Hsiang Huang, Lead author

“With this new dataset, we can achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the impacts of lakes and reservoirs on regional climatology, water security, and ecosystem services.”

— Huilin Gao, Researcher

What’s next

The new surface water transitions and 3D-LAKES bathymetry datasets will enable water managers and researchers to better monitor and model changes in critical freshwater resources worldwide.

The takeaway

These innovative Landsat-based datasets provide unprecedented global insights into the dynamics of lakes, rivers, and reservoirs, empowering communities to more effectively manage their precious water supplies in the face of climate change and growing demand.