Remote sensing of natural hazards

Remote sensing = satellite imagery and aerial photography They range from low resolution (weather satellites) to very high res .. capable of detecting objects <1 metre

Hurricane Katrina

1. Introduction-Instruments:

Most satellite images are not photos

Millennium Island photographed by a crew member on the International Space Station This image was acquired with a Nikon D3 digital camera fitted with an 800 mm lens

Geostationary: 36,000 km above equator, stay vertically above the same spot, rotates with earth - weather images, e.g. GOES (Geostat. Operational Env. Satellite)

Scanning enables the data to be transmitted back to earth from the satellite.

orbits

700-900 km altitude, rotates at circa 81-82 degree angle to equator: captures imagery approx the same time each day (10am +/- 30 minutes) -

Sun-synchronous satellites:

Landsat path:

earthnow

Intro Resolution (pixel size)

Low resolution 1km - 10km (international)

~1 m to 10km

Medium resolution100m -1km (national) High resolution 10 -100 m (regional)

Very High resolution 1 - 10 metres (local)

Introduction Energy wavelengths used for remote sensing

1. 2. 3. 4.

Visible wavelengths Near/mid Infra-Red (vegetation and moisture) Thermal infra-red (heat) Microwave radar (cloud-free)

2. Sensors: Low resolution - weather satellites

http://www.osei.noaa.gov/

Sensors: MODIS medium resolution

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/

Sensors: ASTER - High resolution

http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery.asp?catid=70

Sensors: Very high resolution

corporate satellites e.g Ikonos, Quickbird, GeoEye

http://www.satimagingcorp.com/galleryimages/high-resolution-remote-sensor-sri-lanka-flood.jpg

GeoEye 50cm resolution: Vancouver Olympic village (April 26, 2009)

Selected satellite remote sensing systems

3. Application examples - remote sensing can be used for:

A. Mapping - damage assessment B. Monitoring (in progress) C. Prediction / mitigation

Tornado Rips Through Maryland, 2002 (west <- east)

Lava flow, New Aiyansh

USGS Volcano Hazards http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/

Earth Observatory: Anak Krakatau Ikonos satellite on June 11, 2005.

Use of LiDAR digital elevation models for flood plain mapping and mitigation
http://www.airborneimaginginc.com/images/data_samples/Full_size/Floodplain_map.jpg

Remote Sensing for Hazard Assessment: Landslides - Hong Kong

http://www.cse.polyu.edu.hk/rcuhm/research_1.html LANDSAT Thematic Mapper colour composite, bands 2, 4 and 6 with band 6 (thermal band) displayed as red and band 4 (visible infra-red) as green. Red areas represent hot spots and correspond to areas of grassland which have been burnt during the dry season.

4. Remote sensing of hazards by type Volcanoes

http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery.asp?catid=10

This ASTER image of Mount St. Helens was captured one week after the March 8 ash and steam eruption (2005) http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/earthandsun/mshelenslidar_prt.htm

Landslides

Pakistan

Avalanches, Bowron Lakes

Climate change: melting polar ice cap

http://arctic.atmos.uiuc.edu/cryosphere/ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMQ21p93JZc&NR=1

Climate change: Glacier melt - lake dam collapse:

Huarez, Peru
A chunk of glacier was threatening to fall into an Andean lake and cause major flooding in a Peruvian city of 60,000. If the piece breaks off, ensuing floods would take 15 minutes to reach the city. In 1941, the lake overflowed and caused massive destruction, killing 7,000 people.

Rita: Evolution From Tropical Storm to Hurricane

While Rita is dragging over both Cuba and the Florida peninsula, she can't draw much power since there is less water available for evaporation. However, once she starts to clear Cuba and Florida, and gets over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico, she is able to spin up into a full hurricane. From these images, you can also see that her path will take her across the Gulf, towards the Texas coast.

http://www.runet.edu/~rusmart/imageoftheday/2005-09-21.html

http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/hurricane/track_e.html

MODIS Rapid Response System Global Fire Maps

http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov

5. Some general websites for remote sensing of hazards

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/archive.php

Mapping reference for hazards- Canada

Natural Resources Canada - natural hazards
http://ess.nrcan.gc.ca/disdan/index_e.php
http://atlas.nrcan.gc.ca/site/english/maps/environment/naturalhazards

http://www.disasterscharter.org/web/charter/map

Dr. George Pararas-Carayannis

http://www.drgeorgepc.com/index.html e.g. http://www.drgeorgepc.com/Cyclone2008Burma.html

Satellite images and digital terrain models for 3D visualisation

http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery/images/msh.mpg