Paddy Field Mapping in Eastern Part of Asia Using Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2

The total area and spatial distribution of paddy fields greatly affect the regional budget of methane (CH4), the second most influential greenhouse gas contribute to global warming after CO
₂
. Therefore, reliable broad-scale paddy field maps are essential for improving the accuracy of regional methane budget estimations. Here, using two types of satellite images, Sentinel-l Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Sentinel-2 optical images, we developed a broad scale paddy field map for eastern part of Asia in 2018 with a 30 m spatial resolution. The method used in this study combines the robustness of Sentinel-l SAR images to cloud cover with the high accuracy of Sentinel-2 optical images in extracting irrigated paddy fields. By comparing with statistic values of paddy field areas and existing paddy field maps, our paddy field map shows a great potential for reproducing paddy field areas at country scale.