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Disaster Monitoring [        ]
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| No place on Earth is safe from disasters. Tropical countries in southeast Asia are particularly affected. In beautiful countries like the Philippines, floods, typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are very frequent. In Europe, too, in spite of the high quality of life, from time to time people suffer from floods and storms. Whenever a disaster occurs, discussions focus on how fast and well the necessary responses can be made or even how a catastrophe could be avoided or forecasted.
Does Earth Observation have a role in this? Satellites pass over nearly all regions of the world and provide imagery regularly. This imagery
can be used not only to detect and monitor disaster areas, but also to assess the damage, once the event is over. It also provides vital information for those in charge of planning and executing relief and rescue operations, as well as for the authorities in charge of examining compensation rights claimed by people suffering from the consequences of catastrophic events.
More background details
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Tropical Cyclones [ ]
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About 100 tropical cyclones per year occur in the world. Heavy rain, strong winds and rough sea conditions can cause significant human and economic distress. Nowadays, satellites can help in tracking storms and warning people. Become part of the expert team and analyse the satellite information for yourself!
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Earthquakes [ ]
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We are living on a restless Earth, with a crust that is in constant movement. This is the main reason why so many earthquakes are registered along 'friction’ zones, where they cause enormous damage to infrastructure and can even destroy entire cities. Active fault lines are easily identified by geologists using satellite imagery. Their analysis enables the authorities to take adequate measures. It is immediately after an earthquake that data transmitted by satellites can be helpful to locate the areas where prompt intervention is urgently needed. This section will help you learn how to do this! Here is a list of the most very recent earthquakes.
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Floods [ ]
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Heavy rains severely damage towns, roads and agriculture almost every year, often with considerable human casualties. One of the most immediate needs during flood emergencies is to obtain a clear estimate of the area affected, in order to predict any further, possible development. Aerial surveys are in most cases hard to perform, due to prohibitive weather conditions. Therefore, radar-equipped satellites may often be the only available source of information, especially over remote areas where traditional communications have been forceably interrupted.
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Oil Slicks [ ]
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We often hear reports about global events such as oil spills caused by ships or about delicate marine and coastal ecosystems that are threatened by offshore industries. Besides tanker accidents, where large quantities of oil are spilled producing a slick, many illegal oil discharges are performed by ships in navigation. In fact, tank-cleaning operations are one of the main factors behind sea pollution. Even if satellites can monitor coastal waters constantly today, oil pollution control authorities are still reluctant to rely on this modern technology and hesitate to integrate it into their traditional monitoring system. Over time, we hope that case studies such as those included on this web site will convince these authorities of the benefits in using remote sensing technology.
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Volcanoes [ ]
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Volcanoes close to built-up areas are under constant surveillance, so that advance warnings on possible eruptions can be given.
However, when a big eruption occurs, satellite information in conjunction with data from ground monitoring stations, can be very useful. The synoptic view taken from space can simultaneously show, the ash plume, the ash falling area, the lava streams and the volcanic cone shrinkage or expansion. Space imagery can also contribute to improving land planning to minimise areas at risk.
Authorities can acquire satellite data over volcanic regions and use them not only to monitor the eruptions, but also to generate charts, thematic maps and diagrams predicting the potential risk in surrounding areas.
Remote sensing data can detect lithologic differences, vegetation changes and altimetric variations following volcanic events, as well as the extent and growth of urban centres in endangered areas.
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