SWORD: SWOT River/Lake Database (UNC)
SWOT Mission River Database combining global river and satellite datasets into nodes/reaches with hydrologic attributes; includes type identifiers distinguishing lakes off-river, lakes on-river (reservoirs) and dams. Provided in netCDF, GeoPackage and shapefile by continent.
gaia.geosci.unc.edu
At a glance
- Region
- Global
- Coverage
- Global
- Access
- Free
- Category
- Academic
- Last updated
- 2025
What's inside
- river network
- lake/reservoir features
- water surface elevation
What you can do with it
Typical work that data of this type supports.
- 01
Storage tracking
Follow storage and releases through the season.
Because it has: lake/reservoir features
- 02
Change over time
See how lakes and wetlands have grown or shrunk.
- 03
Coverage gaps
Find who lacks safe water or sanitation.
Because it has: river network
Where AI adds value
Ideas for machine learning and AI agents built on this kind of data.
- 01
Storage from space
Estimate volume from satellite water area and altimetry.
- 02
Release decisions
Optimise releases against inflow forecasts.
- 03
Failure prediction
Predict pipe bursts and plant failures before they happen.
Related water data
- NASA SWOT River Discharge v3Global | Free
- NASA SWOT (Surface Water and Ocean Topography) Data PortalGlobal | Free
- SWORD - SWOT River DatabaseGlobal | Free
- SWORD Explorer - SWOT River DatabaseGlobal | Free
- SWOT High-Resolution Water Mask RasterGlobal | Registration Required
- SWOT Hydrology Data Products (PO.DAAC)Global | Free
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