Application of Space-Based Remote Sensing to Climate Change

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Application of Space-Based Remote
SensingtoClimate Change Disaster ReliefHigh
Level SegmentITU Council 2008November 13, 2008

• Badri Younes
• Deputy Associate Administrator for Space
  Communications Navigation
• National Aeronautics and Space Administration
• United States of America

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Societal Benefits of Remote Sensing

• Remote sensing provides critical data about the
  Earths environment.
• NASA, in cooperation with other US government
  agencies, and
• international partners, constantly monitors
  the state of our planets
• 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.

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NASA Participates in Two Response
EnvironmentsRegulatory 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
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Application of Space-Based Remote Sensing
Tsunamis Droughts Earthquakes Floods Landslides Po
llution 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
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Indonesian Volcanic Hazard
Landsat and SRTM combine to identify vulnerable
areas and populations
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Wildfires
Fires in Southern California, October 25, 2003
Observed with MODIS on TERRA.
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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

Flooding Change Analysis in Haiti September 2008
Fires in Guatemala and Mexico
Study on Potential Impacts of Climate Change on
Biodiversity
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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 models)

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SERVIR Countries Represented

• East Africa
• Kenya
• Tanzania
• Uganda
• Rwanda
• Ethiopia

• Mesoamerica/Caribbean
• Guatemala
• Belize
• El Salvador
• Honduras
• Nicaragua
• Costa Rica
• Panama
• Dominican Republic
• Southern Mexico

Dan Irwins Presentation of SERVIR to the
Presidents of Central America and Mexico
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SERVIR.net

• For More Information
• Dan Irwin SERVIR Director daniel.irwin_at_nasa.gov
  
• Emilio Sempris SERVIR Mesoamerica
• Emilio.sempris_at_cathalac.org
• Kate Lance SERVIR Africa
• Kate.lance_at_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