Comparative Seasonality Assessment of Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 MSI Satellite Data for Water Extent Area Mapping: A Case Study on Hakaluki Haor, Bangladesh

Sadid Khondokar Saykot

Research Fellow, Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO), Agargaon, Sher-e- Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.

Md. Jahidul Ashik

Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO), Agargaon, Sher-e- Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.

S. M. Ahsan Habib

Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO), Agargaon, Sher-e- Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.

Md. Nur Hossain Sharifee

Bangladesh Space Research and Remote Sensing Organization (SPARRSO), Agargaon, Sher-e- Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.

Ahad Kanak Prottay

Graduate Student, Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna.

Abrar Jahin Ornob

Graduate Student, Urban and Rural Planning Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna.

Corresponding author: jahidul.ashik@sparrso.gov.bd (Md. Jahidul Ashik)

Keywords: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Multispectral Instrument (MSI), Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), Seasonal Variation.

PDF: Full Article

DOI: https://doi.org/10.66268/jrse.2026.05.206008

Published: 31 March 2026

Abstract

Publicly available satellite imagery supports reliable waterbody extraction, which is crucial for hydrological studies, environmental monitoring, resource management, disaster management, urban heat reduction planning, etc. This study focuses on the extraction of inland waterbodies of Hakaluki Haor using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 imagery and compares their results during the pre-monsoon (March) and post-monsoon (November) seasons from 2019 to 2024. The waterbodies were delineated using a threshold-based approach for Sentinel-1 and the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) for Sentinel 2. The results reveal seasonal and inter-annual variability, with minimal pre-monsoon water observed in 2021–2022 and exceptionally high post-monsoon inundation in 2020, when Sentinel-2 detected approximately 122.4 km² compared to 95 km² of water extent from Sentinel-1. The analysis further shows that during the pre-monsoon season, waterbody extraction overlapping area between these two sensors varies from 63-91% due to scattered and fragmented waterbodies, whereas during post-monsoon, this variation is significantly reduced to 81-95%. It indicates that during post-monsoon, due to continuous waterbodies, the sensor choice has less effect on waterbody extraction in a similar context.

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How to cite: 

Saykota, S. K., Ashika, M. J., Habib S. M. A., Sharifee, M. N. H., Prottay, A. K., Ornob A. J. (2026). Comparative Seasonality Assessment of Sentinel-1 SAR and Sentinel-2 MSI Satellite Data for Water Extent Area Mapping: A Case Study on Hakaluki Haor, Bangladesh. Journal of Remote Sensing and Environment, 5, 20250505. https://doi.org/10.66268/jrse.2026.05.206008

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