Application of Space-Based Remote Sensing
to
Climate Change & Disaster Relief
High Level Segment
ITU Council 2008
November 13, 2008
Badri Younes
Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Communications & Navigation
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
United States of America
1
Societal Benefits of Remote Sensing
• Remote sensing provides critical data about the Earth’s environment.
• NASA, in cooperation with other US government agencies, and
international partners, constantly monitors the state of our planet’s
atmosphere, oceans, and land.
• This knowledge is freely shared so that all nations can benefit.
• Such knowledge may be used to help nations prepare for potential
natural disasters as well as to recover from them after they occur.
2
NASA Participates in Two Response Environments
Regulatory & Operational
• Regulatory
– ITU-D Study Group 2 Question 22/2
• “Utilization of ICT for Disaster Management, Resources, and Active
and Passive Space Based Sensing Systems As They Apply to
Disaster and Emergency Relief Situations”
– Space Frequency Coordination Group (SFCG)
• Intersessional Working Group on Disaster Management
– Increases Worldwide Awareness of Available Resources and of
Need for Continued Regulatory Protection of Remote Sensing
Bands
• Operational
– Long History of Scientific Missions Focusing on Observation of
Critical Earth and Atmospheric Parameters
– Extensive International Scientific Cooperation
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International Cooperation in Sensor Development
Acronym/
Name/Title
Abbreviation
ADEOS
Advanced Earth Observation Satellite(s)
ALT
Altimeter
ALOS
AMI
AMR
AMSR
AMSR-E
AMSU
AMSU-A
AMSU-B
AQUARIUS
ASAR
ASCAT
ATMS
ATSR, -2
CLOUD
RADAR
CSR
DELTA-2
DORIS
ENVISAT
EOS
ERS
ESA
ETM
HSB
HYDROS
IKAR
JERS
MASTER
MHS
MISSION
COUNTRY
JAPAN
TOPEX/
USA/
POSEIDON FRANCE
Advanced Land Observing Satellite
JAPAN
Active Microwave Instrument
ERS-1, -2
ESA
Altimetry Microwave Radiometer
JASON-1
USA
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer
ADEOS-2 JAPAN
Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-EOS
EOS-PM
JAPAN/
USA
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit
AQUA
USA
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - A
NOAA K+ USA
METOP1
ESA
Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit - B
NOAA-K+ USA
Radar + radiometer
AQUARIUS USA
Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar
ENVISAT
ESA
Advanced Scatterometer
METOP
ESA
Advanced Technology Microwave Sounder
Bridge,
NASA,
NPOESS-C NPOESS
Along Track Scanning Radiometer (& Microwave Sounder) ERS-1, -2
ESA
Cloud radar
FUTURE
ESA
Commonwealth of Soviet Republics
Doppler Orbitography & Radio Positioning Integrated by
Satellite
Environmental Satellite
Earth Observing System (-AM, morning equator crossing;
-PM afternoon crossing; -CHEM afternoon crossing)
Earth Resource Satellite(s)
European Space Agency
Enhanced Thematic Mapper
Humidity Sounder, Brazil
Radar + radiometer
Japanese Earth Resources Satellite
Microwave Humidity Sounder
MIMR
MIRAS
MIVZA
MLS
Multifrequency Imaging Microwave Radiometer
Microwave Imaging Radiometer with Aperture Synthesis
(humidity sounder)
Microwave Limb Sounder
MSR
MSU
Microwave Scanning Radiometer
Microwave Sounding Unit
OKEAN
CSR
TOPEX/
USA/
POSEIDON FRANCE
ESA
USA
Acronym/
Abbreviation
MTZA
MWR
NASA
NOAA
NSCAT(US)
PR
R-225
R-400
R-600
RA
RA-2
RADIOMTR
RLSBO
RM-0.8
SAR
SAR
SAR
SAR-10
SAR-3
SAR-70
SIRC/ XSAR
SMR
SEAWINDS
(USA)
SLR-3
SOPRANO
ESA
SSALT
LANDSAT
AQUA
HYDROS
PRIRODA
USA
USA/Brazil
USA
CSR
JAPAN
ESA
USA
USA
ESA
ESA
ESA
CSR
USA
FUTURE
AQUA
NOAA-N
METOP
METOP
MIRAS
METEOR
UARS,
AURA
MOS-1B
JAPAN
NOAA-9-14 USA
TDRSS
TMI (USA)
TMR
TPX/POS
Name/Title
Microwave Radiometer
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Oceans and Atmospheres Administration
NASA Scatterometer
Precipitation Radar
2.25 cm radiometer (?)
4 cm radiometer (?)
6 cm radiometer (?)
Radar Altimeter
Radar Altimeter
Radiometer
Imager
0.8 cm imaging radiometer
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar
Synthetic Aperture Radar - 9.6 cm
Synthetic Aperture Radar - 3.5 cm
Synthetic Aperture Radar - 70 cm
Shuttle Imaging Radar -C, X- Synthetic Aperture Radar
Scanning Microwave Radiometer
Scatterometer
MISSION
METEOR
ENVISAT
CSR
ESA
USA
USA
ADEOS
JAPAN
TRMM
JAPAN
OKEAN-O CSR
PRIRODA CSR
OKEAN-O CSR
ERS-1,-2
ESA
ENVISAT
ESA
ODIN
SWEDEN
OKEAN-O, CSR
SICH-1
SICH
CSR
RADARSAT CANADA
JERS-1
JAPAN
SICH
CSR
ALMAZ
CSR
ALMAZ
CSR
ALMAZX
CSR
Shuttle
USA
SICH
CSR
ADEOS-2 JAPAN
Side Looking Radar
ALMAZX
Sub-millimeter Observation of Processes in the Absorption FUTURE
Noteworthy for Ozone
Solid State Altimeter
TPX/POS,
JASON
Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System
TRMM Microwave Imager
TRMM
TOPEX Microwave Radiometer
TPX/POS,
JASON
TOPEX/POSEIDON
TRMM
Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission
TRVRS SAR Trans verse-Synthetic Aperture Radar
TT&C
Tracking, Telemetry, and Command
UARS
Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite
USA
United States of America
VSAR
? Synthetic Aperture Radar
COUNTRY
PRIRODA
CSR
ESA
USA,
FRANCE
USA
JAPAN
USA,
FRANCE
USA,
FRANCE
USA, JAPAN
CSR
USA
ALOS
JAPAN
4
Application of Space-Based Remote Sensing
Tsunamis
Droughts
Earthquakes
Floods
Landslides
Pollution
Sea Ice
Volcanoes
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Assessing Tsunami Damage
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Drought in Australia
Soil moisture distribution in Australia during October 2005 and 2006.
This data acquired by AMSR-E on Aqua. Red indicates low soil
moisture (dry), while blue indicates higher soil moisture (wet). A
drought occurred in south east Australia (Granary area) in 2006.
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Earthquake Near Sumatra
ASTER
ASTER
ASTER data showed that Coral reefs off Nias Island, Indonesia were
uplifted following earthquakes near Sumatra, Indonesia
in December 2004 and March, 2005.
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Hurricane Dean – August 2007
QuikSCAT produces wind
speed and direction.
GOES
GOES imagery shows the character
and motion of the hurricane.
QuikSCAT
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Flooding in Germany
Landsat 7, Circa 2000
ASTER, August 20, 2002
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Landslide in Canada
RADARSAT-1 InSar Displacement Maps Cover 2000 - 2004
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Red Tide Off West Coast of Florida
SeaWiFS Observed a Red Tide on November 21, 2004
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Antarctic Sea Ice Thickness
Weddell Sea Ice Thickness from
Multichannel Observations made by SIR-C/X-SAR
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Hawaiian Volcano Activity
Note: Ground motion indicates
dangerous underground
volcanic activity
Interferometric SAR Image of the Mauna Loa Caldera in Hawaii
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Indonesian Volcanic Hazard
Landsat and SRTM
combine
to identify
areas
and populations
Interferometric
SAR
Image
of the vulnerable
Mauna Loa
Caldera
in Hawaii
15
Wildfires
Fires in Southern California, October 25, 2003
Observed with MODIS on TERRA.
SERVIR
The Regional Visualization and Monitoring System
Enabling the use of earth observations and models for timely
decision making to benefit society
• Data and Models
• Online Maps
• Visualization
• Decision Support
• Training
• Partnerships
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SERVIR Applications
•
Disaster Analysis
•
Environmental Monitoring
•
Air Quality Assessment
•
Climate Change and Biodiversity
•
Short Term Weather Prediction
Study on Potential Impacts of
Climate Change on Biodiversity
Fires in Guatemala and Mexico
Flooding Change Analysis in Haiti
September 2008 18
South-South, Cross- Continental Geospatial Collaboration
• Equipment installed and training conducted for initial setup of SERVIR-East Africa node
• Integrated system development underway for both regional centers
• Continued advances in data acquisition:
-RCMRD & CATHALAC tasking requests of EO-1 satellite
• Enhancement of visualization capabilities
- Beta version of the SERVIR Climate Mapper tool
• Prototyping and development of new products/applications
- Flood potential product (using multiple NASA sensors and/adapting existing NASA
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models)
SERVIR Countries Represented
Mesoamerica/Caribbean
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Guatemala
Belize
El Salvador
Honduras
Nicaragua
Costa Rica
Panama
Dominican Republic
Southern Mexico
East Africa
– Kenya
– Tanzania
– Uganda
– Rwanda
– Ethiopia
Dan Irwin’s Presentation of SERVIR
to the Presidents of Central America and Mexico
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SERVIR.net
For More Information
•
Dan Irwin – SERVIR Director
•
Emilio Sempris – SERVIR Mesoamerica
daniel.irwin@nasa.gov
Emilio.sempris@cathalac.org
•
Kate Lance – SERVIR Africa
Kate.lance@nasa.gov
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Summary
• Space-Based Remote Sensing Provides Critical Information
– Near Real Time Data for Disaster Relief
– Long Term Trends for Assessing Climate Change
• Remote Sensing Data is Freely Available
– Often via Internet
• International Organizations Can Assist Administrations with Remote
Sensing Data Access and Application
– Climate Change Assessments
– Disaster Management
• Spectrum is a Key Enabler
– Critical Need for Interference-Free Spectrum for Sensing and Communications
• NASA Will Continue its Long History of International Cooperation
– Application of NASA Spaceborne Capabilities to Mitigate Disasters and
Combat Adverse Climate Change
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