Course change detection of the Mureș river, Romania (2025-12-05)

In late May 2025, heavy rains caused flooding along the Mureș River, affecting areas located near the Romanian Hungarian border. The Romanian General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) requested to acquire geospatial information aiding in the evaluation of the river’s course changes due to the flood event. The aim of this activation is to achieve reliable detection and detailed delineation of geomorphological changes so as to identify and evaluate potential alterations in the Mureș River course and adjacent areas, using very high-resolution satellite imagery. The results include change detection to the river’s course comparing its initial alignment according to the pre-flood imagery with its alteration during the rainy dates and its modification according to the post-flood imagery, as well as, a change classification distinguishing between areas of erosion, deposition, and lateral movement of the river channel comparing pre-flood and post-flood event imagery. This analysis helps national authorities in observing the river’s evolution along the border segment and in documenting any realignments or morphological changes that may have occurred after the flooding event.