Observation of the water surface area of lakes is essential for understanding the amount of water stored in them. This study analyzed the long-term and seasonal changes in the area of natural lakes and reservoirs using a global dataset of monthly area estimates. The global area of natural lakes has been decreasing while the seasonal amplitude is increasing. Those trends are not significant in reservoirs. Seasonal variations and their interannual trends were different depending on the size of the reservoirs. The results were consistent with the results of the change in the terrestrial water storage determined by gravity observation, but some areas showed different trends. Thus, satellite observation of lake surface area provides helpful information for water resource management. In combination with water surface elevation observation, it is expected to enable a more comprehensive estimation of water storage volume.
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