Space monitoring of natural disasters and human-induced emergency situations and catastrophes over the past few years became the most important component of the information support for national emergency response groups in developed counties. Issues of interaction between international and national governmental agencies, emergency services and private companies – RS Operators – as well as absence of experience in using space images among decision-makers is still a stumbling block on the way towards ensuring operational imaging of an emergency area from space.
Cover story
Operational Monitoring of Emergencies from Space: Background, Status and Perspectives.By A. Tertyshnikov, A. Kucheiko
Space monitoring of natural disasters and human-induced emergency situations and catastrophes over the past few years became the most important component of the information support for national emergency response groups in developed counties. Issues of interaction between international and national governmental agencies, emergency services and private companies – RS Operators – as well as absence of experience in using space images among decision-makers is still a stumbling block on the way towards ensuring operational imaging of an emergency area from space.
Monitoring of Emergency Situations from Space in Kazakhstan: Practice and Perspectives.By L. Spivak, O. Arhipkin, G. Sagatdinova
Space monitoring technologies have been developing in Kazakhstan since 2001. The principal directions of space imagery practical application are: monitoring of snow/ice seasonal cover melting, seasonal and flash floods, as well as monitoring of fires and oil spills in the Caspian Sea.
Experience of Space Imagery Application for Emergency Monitoring and Response: Case-study – January 2010 International Humanitarian Operation in Haiti.By A. Kucheiko, A. Nikitsky, N. Pupysheva, A. Aleinikov
Earth observation from space has indisputable advantages over alternative methods of getting geospatial data, when quickly assessing the consequences of large-scale natural calamities. This article describes the experience of ScanEx RDC’s participation together with Emercom of Russia and Russian humanitarian organizations in the International Rescue Operation following a series of earthquakes in Haiti.
System of space monitoring of the Emercom Russia.By A. Epikhin
Departmental system of emergency monitoring from space has been operating and developing under the auspices of the National Center for Crisis Management in Russia. Upgrading of the receiving complex in Krasnoyarsk, as well as purchasing and installation of such complexes in Vladivostok, Anadyr, Murmansk and on the Severnaya Zemlya islands are to take place in the future to ensure near real-time acquisition of satellite imagery of the emergency areas in the Far North regions and in the Arctiс.
Application of the Remote Sensing Data Acquired From space for Monitoring of Emergency Situations within the Flood Risk Period.By V. Romasko, A. Borisevich, S. Miskiv, V. Ivanov
Starting in 2009, a branch office of the National Center for Crisis Management of the Russian Emercom for monitoring from space has been operating in Krasnoyarsk. Four largest Russian river basins – Ob, Yenisei, Lena and Amur and the Lake Baikal – fall within the area of responsibility of this branch office. The program and the automated information resource “Snow Cover Monitoring Service” was introduced to get the fullest information about snow cover and change dynamics on the territory of the river basins of the region. In addition to space imagery results processing automation and in order to forecast changes in flood situation, daily work is ongoing on actual detection of potentially hazardous hydrological events.
Regional System of Space Monitoring of Emergencies in the Republic of Bashkortostan.By I. Yamalov, A. Sultanov, V. Bagmanov, S. Mitakovich
A regional system of space monitoring of emergencies is being established in the Republic of Bashkortostan, intended for fast detection of and response to natural and human-induced emergency situations. In particular, the system is supposed to ensure monitoring of floods and fires on the territory of the Bashkortostan, as well as information support for decision-making in critical situations using cutting-edge geoinformation technologies.
Studying Dynamics of the Lyakhovsky Islands Coastline Based on Multi-temporal RS data.By E. Pizhankova, M. Dobrynina
Dynamics of exogenic processes have been studied on Great and Little Lyakhovsky Islands. The research was done applying topographic co-registration of multi-temporal and multi-scale remote sensing data, carried out by ScanEx Image Processor 3.0 software application. For the first time values and rates of the recession of the beach of the Lyakhovsky Islands along the entire coastline were detected and main factors of this event propagation identified and described.
Using Anaglyph Stereo Images for Visual Express Interpretation of Hazardous Natural Sites.By A. Aleinikov
Any geographic study of a location starts with visual interpretation. The simplest and quickest method is getting an anaglyph image based on the stereo pairs, which are source materials for DEM, topographic maps and 3D models development.
From Collaboration to Assistance During an Emergency Response: UNOSAT Experience
Francesco Pisano, the Manager of UNOSAT (Operational Satellite Applications Programme), told about the necessity of international cooperation intensification in order to solve tasks connected with emergency situations, as well as primary directions of UNOSAT work and its prospects.
Space technologies in Emercom of Russia operations
V. Molchanov, Doctor of Engineering, Supervisor of Science and Technology directorate of Emercom of Russia, shared the existing experience and potential of RS data in Emercom of Russia operations.
Classifier of the Russian Emercom Thematic Tasks, Resolved Using Remote Sensing Data Acquired from Space.By S. Mikhailov
The Emercom of Russia actions are linked directly to the security of people and of industrial premises, emergency rescue activities and safety of the unique natural sites. Therefore, processing methods and types of RS data for each solution should be well-defined to ensure continuous operations of all services and subdivisions.
Trends
Remote monitoring of illegal logging in the Far Eastern Federal District.By S. Tyutrin, R. Kondratovets
Illegal logging control today is still one of the most important tasks in forestry. The article reviews the techniques of remote sensing monitoring of illegal loggings, managed annually since 2005. The Far Eastern Branch of the State Forest Account of FSUE “DalLesProekt” of ROSLESINFORG.
Experience of High Resolution Radar Imagery Application for Monitoring of Forest Loggings in Moscow Region.By A. Maslov
The tasks of the Russian Federal Forestry Agency to detect illegal logging and to monitor compliance with forest management regulations have been efficiently resolved using optical high resolution satellite images (2–10 m). The 2008 Federal Monitoring Program suggested that the “gaps” be closed with high resolution radar imagery. Prior to start delivering the images to the Roslesinforg, the specific features of radar imagery were studied on forest models in Moscow Region.
Optimal Data Format and Geolocation Methods: Practical Recommendations for Ordering High Resolution Images.By A. Maslov, N. Mitkinykh
Solution of most practical tasks, when operating with high resolution space images requires quality geolocation of source images. Maximum possible accuracy here depends on a number of factors. The article presents basic methods of high-resolution data geometric correction for images in different formats, received by the ground stations in Russia.
Orthophotomaps and Digital Elevation Models Testing Results, Executed Based on Cartosat-1 Images (IRS-P5).By Yu. Karionov
This article describes methods of testing orthophotomaps and digital elevation models, generated based on the stereo pair of Cartosat-1 images (IRS-P5) without GCPs.
On-orbit Fleet of Earth Observation Satellites: 2009 Results and 2010 Plans.By A. Kucheiko
The year 2009 broke records of the decade in the number of launched satellites for Earth observation from space. The article reviews the successful and planned launches of civil, commercial and military RS satellites, as well as analyzes the condition of the national RS systems, basic market development trends and specifics of the year 2009.
Legal Relations
Legal Terms for Distribution and Application of ERS Data in Russia, Acquired From Foreign Satellites: Common Approach and Specifics of the Law Enforcement in Russia.By A. Zolotukhin
Public sector customers and commercial users in Russia are short of highly-detailed RS data, which is currently not delivered from national space satellites. The trend to use foreign satellites’ remote sensing data is not expected to change in the nearest future. At the same time, data distribution in Russia is carried out within a specific legal framework, on the one hand reflecting common approach and on the other hand having its specific features, which are not to the full extent considered by both foreign Operators and Russia RS data resellers and users.
