ISOPE-2013 Anchorage ConferenceThe 23rd International Ocean and Polar Engineering Conference

Anchorage, Alaska, USA, June 30−July 5, 2013: www.isope.org; www.isope2013.org

Mapping the Tohoku 2011 Tsunami event with a remote sensing satellite constellation

– a reference case for emerging Early Warning System Dissemination Services

Peter Löwe, Joachim Wächter

Centre for GeoinformationTechnology (CeGIT), GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences

Potsdam, Germany

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TRIDEC

• New technologies for real‐time intelligent information management in collaborative, complex critical decision processes

• In TRIDEC new developments in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) are used to extend existing platforms with a component-based technology framework.

• Demonstration in two scenarios: Tsunami Early Warning Systems (Natural Crisis Management) and Drilling Operations.

2

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The potential of improved satellite crisis mapping

•During a Tsunami early warning event, TRIDEC Natural Crisis Management (NCM) systems provide crucial information on when and where coastlines will be affected.

•This critical information can be provided to the operators of satellite remote sensing systems for follow up actions.

TRIDEC NCM GUI

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Remote Sensing for Disaster Mitigation

• 1999: International Charter "Space and Major Disasters“ founded by ESA and CNES.

• Approach: „An authorized user can request the mobilization of the space and associated ground resources of the member agencies to obtain data and information on a disaster occurrence.“

• An Emergency On-Call Officer prepares an archive („before“) and acquisition („after“) plan.

• Charter-Members handle data acquisition and delivery on an emergency basis.

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Tohoku 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami

• In the wake of the Tohoku Tsunami Disaster of March 11 2011, the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters was activated to coordinate both the imaging campaigns and the creation of crisis maps.

• The affected areas were imaged by satellite-based remote sensing sensors.

• Crisis map products were used by Search and Rescue to save lifes.

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Charter Crisis Map Product Example

This information is crucial for Search and Rescue operations

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The Disaster Cycle, TRIDEC, and the Charter

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Integrated Approach

Decide & Act

DownstreamWarning

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Benefits from a EO dissemination channel

• Preparations for satellite imaging can begin before the tsunami devastates an Area of Interest,

• reducing the time between tsunami landfall and first satellite

image take,

• speeding up production of crisis maps,

• enabling earlier and better coordinated response by Search and Rescue (SAR),

• potenially allowing for before/after coverage.

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Workflow Integration: Status

Disaster Strikes

Recovery

Reaction Phase

Crisis Mapsavailable

Message to EO

communities

EO-Crisis Maps

becomeavailable

DownstreamWarning

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Workflow Integration: Capabilities

Disaster Strikes

Recovery

Reaction Phase

Crisis Mapsavailable

EO community:Heads Up !

EO-Crisis Maps becomeAvailableearlier

DownstreamWarning

EO: Early Preparation

Reaction Phase

Crisis Mapsavailable

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Evolution of Earth Observation Systems

Core parameters for satellite-based remote sensing:

• Spatial/spectral resolution („Pixel size“ of sensor)

• Temporal resolution (Revisit rate: „Number of satellites“)

•Single satellite • Pace for image acquisition planning: Weeks / Days

•Constellations of several satellites in one orbit plane• Pace: Day(s) / Hours

•Multiple Constellations in multiple orbit planes (upcoming) • Pace: Hours / Minutes

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Workflow Integration: Status

•Currently, Tsunami Early Warning only considers bullets 2 and 3.

•Tsunami Early Warning must provide Tsunami Information (bullet 1) to start the image acquisition process (orange)

Satellite ImageData

Save livesMappingTaskingOrderingTsunami

WarningImaging

Satellite ImageMap

1 2 3

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Earth Observation: Planning and Tasking

• Operators of remote sensing satellites operate a planning and tasking/commandeering cycle to control image acquisition.

• Planning: Arrange and prioritize image orders by

• Area of Interest (AOI)• Time of Interest (TOI)• Optical Sensors: Cloud Forecast Constraints• Other Factors: Urgency, on-board memory availability, power,

etc.

• Tasking: Setting of an imaging schedule.

• Commandeering: Upload of imaging schedule to sensors + execution.

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Case Study: Rapid Eye Constellation

• Commercially operated constellation of five satellites

• Charter Member

• Disaster Mapping since 2009

Summer 2013; Flooding in Central Europe

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Example: The RapidEye Satellite Constellation

• Constellation operational since February 2009

• Five identical optical remote sensing satellites

• ~ 630km above ground

• ~ 90 minutes orbit period

• Sun-synchronous (overpass 11:30 a.m. local time)

Images: RapidEye

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RapidEye: Optical Imaging Sensors

•Five spectral bands: red / green / blue / red-edge / near-infrared

•Resolution of data products: 5m*5m pixel.

•Swath width: 77 km

•Max. swath length: 1200 km

Egypt 2010 Image: RapidEye AG

Example: Anchorage

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Example: Order Planning/Tasking/Execution

The timeline reflects the RapidEye “Two plannings per day” scenario.

10h – 25h

Daily Deadlines

Order turnaround time

Source: Hoja et al.: Optimised Near-Real Time Data Acquisition and Pre- processing of Satellite Data for Disaster Related Rapid Mapping : PFG2010/6,429-438

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Daily Planning Sessions

Europe,Asia,

Oceania

Americas

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Daily Planning Sessions

Europe,Asia,

Oceania

Americas

March 11 2011: Tohoku EQ

became news by 8:00 CET.

RapidEye was immediately contacted by

GFZ.

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Image Product Processing Chain

Worldwide Level3A grid of orthorectified tiles (25x25km).

Level 1b image product: 2011-3-12, Japan.

Crisis Mapping Product

Level3A tiles

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Daily Imaging by the RapidEye Constellation

March 12 2011 March 13 2013 March 14 2011

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Use of Volunteered Geographic Information by the EO Community

• Gulf of Mexico Oilspill 2010• Louisiana Bucket Brigade• Ushahidi Open Source Social

Mapping

Before

Ushahidi/Bucket Brigade: Oil residue found on beach

Confirmation by EO

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TRIDEC Information Logistics

NCM Control and Command User Interface

DisseminationInterface(Text + Maps)

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Components for an EO Dissemination Product

EOTile Grid

Tsunami SimulationIsochrones

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XML-based Message Format Candidates: CAP and EDXL

• Common Alert Protocoll (CAP): Data format for exchanging public warnings and emergencies between alerting technologies.

• Flexible geographic targeting using latitude/longitude “boxes”;

• Facility for digital images, audio, and video.

• Emergency Data Exchange Language (EDXL) - a suite of messaging standards, advanced by the OASIS Emergency Management Technical Committee,

EDXL spatial tags

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Outline of an automated heads-up process

• Derivation of affected coastline segments from Tsunami-simulations and run-up modelling.

• Prioritization by estimated time of arrival and severity estimates.

• Mapping of affected areas to EO tile grids.

• Tasking of EO constellations.

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Conclusion: EO Operators Perspective

Benefits from dedicated EO warning services:

•Preparation for short term crisis mapping ahead of time

•Image acquisition as early as possible

•Larger data stock

•Increased business opportunities

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Conclusion: Tsunami Early Warning Systems (TEWS)

•The earlier crisis maps become available after a Tsunami, the more lives can be saved.

•Satellite-based crisis mapping for large areas is a valuable tool for disaster and crisis management.

•TEWS dissemination components can provide customized message formats for EO communities including AOI/ETA .

•A suitable dissemination channel for EO will speed up Crisis Mapping and will help to save lives.

Satellite ImageData

Save livesMappingTaskingOrderingTsunami

WarningImaging

Satellite ImageMap

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Thank you very much

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