Bibliometric analysis of surface water detection and mapping using remote sensing in South America

The detection and mapping of surface water resources for South America (DMSWSA) in Remote sensing context is a highly relevant issue from a scientific point of view due to the impact on the understanding of changes in the hydrological cycle, water availability, and climate in global terms since 45% of all water resources available on the globe are present on this continent. This study presents a new approach to evaluating the scientific literature of the last 21 years focused on DMSWSA in a Remote sensing scientific literature. Our study aims to carry out a bibliometric analysis on the application of the DMSWSA in a Remote sensing dominium to assess researchers, countries, and trends. We used the Scopus database for the literature search. Then we used bibliometric tools to access information and reveal quantification patterns of literature. Our results show that the most relevant contributions involved Brazil and Argentina. DMSWSA has only shown an expansion in recent years regarding the number of articles published and citations. It was possible to show that the DMSWSA in a Remote sensing scientific area needs further collaboration expansion between countries within South America and beyond this continental border. We reveal aspects of great importance and interest in the literature using bibliometric approaches to give a clear view of research trends for DMSWSA.