A flooding algorithm for extracting drainage networks from unprocessed digital elevation models

•We present a novel algorithm for extracting drainage networks from DEMs.•The algorithm is simple and works with unprocessed DEMs containing pits and flats.•Our algorithm estimates wide watercourses (such as lakes) and divergent flows.

A new method for extracting the drainage network from a digital elevation model (DEM) is presented. It is based on the well-known D8 approach that simulates the overland flow but uses a more elaborate water transfer model that is inspired by the natural behaviour of water. The proposed solution has several advantages: it works on unprocessed DEMs avoiding the problems caused by pits and flats, can generate watercourses with a width greater than one cell and detects fluvial landforms like lakes, marshes or river islands that are not directly handled by most previous solutions.