Transcript Remote Sensisng & Earth Observation

Remote Sensing
and
Earth Observation
Gennaro Cappelluti
November 2008
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Earth Observation
satellites, aircraft, atmospheric radiosondes, samplers,
balloons, weather stations, ships, buoys, floats, ocean profilers.
weather, climate, oceans, land, geology, natural resources,
ecosystems, natural and human-induced hazards.
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main societal benefits derived by
a coordinated global observation system
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reducing loss of life and property from natural and human-induced disasters;
understanding environmental factors affecting human health and well being;
improving management of energy resources;
understanding, assessing, predicting, mitigating climate variability and change;
improving water resource management by better understanding of water cycle;
improving weather information, forecasting, warning;
improving the management of terrestrial, coastal, marine ecosystems;
supporting sustainable agriculture and combating desertification;
understanding, monitoring, conserving biodiversity.
observation systems monitor
evolution and impact of El Niño, solar fluctuations, weather, extreme events (floods
and droughts), coastal pollution, ocean surface temperatures and biological activity,
algal blooms, vegetation cycles, deforestation, forest fires, urban development,
greenhouse gases, aerosols, volcanic activity, tectonic plate motion.
satellites
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agriculture and forestry: mapping information, crop health statistics, yield
predictions, harvest optimisation, estimated rainfall amount;
resource mapping: locate both renewable and non-renewable resources;
hazard monitoring and disaster assessment: volcano plumes, areas stricken
by drought or earthquake;
commercial fishing industries: fishing assessments;
shipping: ocean wave and current information to improve operational safety and
route-planning;
mapping and urban planning agencies: maps and digital elevation models.
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disasters
A wide variation in the number and intensity of
natural disasters (floods, typhoons, tsunamis,
hurricanes and cyclones, earthquakes, tornadoes,
volcanic eruptions, landslides, subsidence, drought,
wildfires) is normal and to be expected, but the
events of the last few decades suggest that there
may be an upward trend caused by human
activities. Many scientists believe that the recent
increase of weather-related natural disasters is the
product of increased global warming.
natural disasters cannot be prevented, but their
social and economic impacts can be reduced by
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disaster knowledge and prevention: risk
maps, hazard characteristics, probability of
occurrence;
disaster forecasting: prediction and warning;
emergency response, recovery and
reconstruction: assessment of the extent and
severity of the damage, delivering food, health
care.
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cholera in India and Bangladesh
Links have been established between outbreaks of cholera in India and Bangladesh
and oceanic conditions in the Bay of Bengal, including concentrations of
phytoplankton and chlorophyll, sea surface temperature and height. Data from
AVHRR, SeaWiFS and Topex-Poseidon support these assessments.
respiratory illnesses
Respiratory illnesses are rising across the world, especially in urban centres,
originating from industry and traffic. Space-based instruments trace plumes of
chemicals as they move through the air and provide maps of their concentrations.
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energy
Geological, tectonic and seismic data play an important role in searching
for new oil and gas reserves, sought in increasingly remote and hostile
areas of the planet. Over 75% of the world’s oil-bearing basins contain
surface seeps and SAR satellite imagery is routinely used to seek for these.
Renewable energy sources (solar, wind, wave power) offer
environmentally-friendly alternatives to fossil fuels but are particularly
sensitive to environmental conditions. Local climate data (cloud cover,
solar irradiance, wind/wave speed and direction) are vital elements for the
location and operation of solar, wind and wave power facilities.
global warming
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Global warming trend is believed caused by greenhouse gases. The most
important are: carbon dioxide (CO2), which comes mainly from the burning of fossil
fuels, methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), ozone (O3), chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs). An improved understanding of the global carbon cycle is a policy
imperative, both globally and for individual countries. The investigation can be
carried out by analysing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere,
vegetation cover, seasonal growth, fire detection, ocean phytoplankton.
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weather
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Many aspects of our lives are governed by the weather, including public health,
agriculture, energy, construction, transportation, tourism, recreation,
ecosystems, biodiversity. Of particular consequence are severe weather events,
such as hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, blizzards, heat waves, droughts.
Modern weather forecasting techniques use
sophisticated computer models of the atmosphere,
which solve equations that describe the evolution of
variables such as temperature, wind speed,
humidity, pressure. The process begins by
analysing the current state of the atmosphere,
described by data from satellites, aircraft,
atmospheric radiosondes, samplers, balloons,
weather stations, ships, buoys, etc.