Robust Satellite Techniques For Natural And Man Made Hazards

Robust Satellite Techniques for Natural and Man-made Hazards provides an introduction the Robust Satellite Techniques (RST) change detection method. This method is used to identify significant signal changes in a reliable way even in the presence of varying disturbing conditions, as they apply to natural, environmental, and industrial hazards. Providing both general and specific examples for the use of RST, Robust Satellite Techniques for Natural and Man-made Hazards offers a variety of applications for these techniques, spanning from natural hazard detection and environmental monitoring to industrial accident and terrorist attach early identification. Applicable to researchers, students, and policy makers alike in a variety of fields including Earth Sciences, Environmental Monitoring, and disaster risk reduction, this book is essential for understanding advanced applications and analyses of remote sensing data. Introduces a unique method to reliably detect hazards Addresses natural, environmental, and industrial hazards all in one compact resource Presents concepts in plain language to aid in multidisciplinary research and includes an appendix for non-experts in remote sensing Includes case studies and testing datasets with RST algorithms to reinforce concepts

David Stevens Space-based information, which includes earth observation data, is increasingly becoming an integral part of our lives. We have been relying for decades on data obtained from meteorological satellites for updates on the weather and to monitor weather-related natural disasters such as hurricanes. We now count on our personal satellite-based navigation systems to guide us to the nearest Starbucks Coffee and use web-based applications such as Google Earth and Microsoft Virtual Earth to study the area of places we will or would like to visit. At the same time, satellite-based technologies have experienced impressive growth in recent years with an increase in the number of available sensors, an increase in spatial, temporal and spectral resolutions, an increase in the availability of radar satellites such as Terrasar-X and ALOS, and the launching of specific constellations such as the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), COSMO- SkyMed (COnstellation of small Satellites for the Mediterranean basin Observation) and RapidEye. Even more recent are the initiatives being set-up to ensure that space-based information is being accessed and used by decision makers, such as Sentinel Asia for the Asia and Pacific region and SERVIR for the Latin America and Caribbean region.

This book introduces a comprehensive understanding in the use of space techniques in natural hazards and risk management in the MENA Region. The book is based on different case-studies from 25 MENA countries, and will be useful in highlighting the issues from all aspects. In recent years the number of natural hazard events has increased in the MENA Region. This is exacerbated by the changing climate and extreme climate events, as well as a large increase in the population in this area. Disastrous events occur on a yearly basis characterized by a vulnerability of physical processes. Floods, earthquakes, and mass movement result in severe damage to property and livelihoods, and have devastating effects upon the environment. These events cause severe financial losses, which on an annual basis, can exceed millions of dollars. The predication, assessment and monitoring approaches remain inadequate in managing these hazards and in mitigating their impacts, but with the development of space techniques and geo-information systems, these situations can now be better managed. The miscellany of satellite images, with different spatial and temporal resolutions, enable the detection of terrain features and provide indications of potential natural risks. This book will of interest to stakeholders, including field experts, academics, researchers and decision makers.

In recent years, several major natural and man-made hazards have challenged scientists, government officials and the public in general: earthquakes, major volcanic and other seismic eruptions in Mount St. Helens, EI Chichon, Mexico city, Nevado del Ruiz, Japan, Italy, Greece, Cameroon and many other places on our globe; Tsunami in the Pacific Ocean and deadly storm surges along the coasts of India, Bangladesh and Japan; Cyclones, floods, thunderstorms, snow storms, tornadoes, drought, desertification and other climatic catastrophes; Amoco-Cadiz oil spill accident (France), Three-Mile Island (U. S. A. ) and Chernobyl (U. S. S. R. ) nuclear accidents, Bhopal chemical accident (India), acid rain (Canada, U. S. A. ) and other technological disasters. Such hazards have snuffed out millions of lives, infli

This work is a collection of papers from the world's leading research groups in the field of automatic extraction of objects, especially buildings and roads, from aerial and space imagery, including new sensors like SAR and lidar.

Initial priorities for U.S. participation in the International Decade for Natural Disaster Reduction, declared by the United Nations, are contained in this volume. It focuses on seven issues: hazard and risk assessment; awareness and education; mitigation; preparedness for emergency response; recovery and reconstruction; prediction and warning; learning from disasters; and U.S. participation internationally. The committee presents its philosophy of calls for broad public and private participation to reduce the toll of disasters.

An essential, introductory text for marine engineering students covering the fundamental earth-observation concepts that underpin all space-based terrestrial and maritime remote sensing methods. Satellite-based earth observation provides key weather and environmental information to all nations, including key maritime users such as navy, coastguard and merchant vessels. The application and understanding of electromagnetic wave-based devices and sensors is an established merchant sea service requirement, found in the Standards in Training and Certification in Watchkeeping (STCW95) qualification and various Maritime Coastguard Agency exams. It is vital that maritime and land-based users have a basic understanding of the concepts upon which these essential earth-observation systems now operate. The book is written as simply as possible to support the growing numbers of overseas students for whom English is not their first language. It provides a firm foundation prior to reading and studying of the Reeds Marine Engineering series, and is complementary to other volumes in the Introductions series. Maritime and land-based students and scientists having read this easy-to-read volume will be better prepared for more in-depth study.

Dorrik A. V. Stow Editor in Chief, Association of Geoscientists for International Development ( AGID) AGID is particularly pleased to see published this latest hurricanes, floods-that are wreaking havoc, destroying report in its Geosciences in International Development livelihood and lives in some corner of the globe. Series, as a significant contribution to the onset of the UN As geoscientists there are perhaps three concerns that Decade of National Disaster Reduction, and as a mark of should be uppermost in our minds as we join an inter AGID's growing concern over the potential and actual national effort to combat the adverse effects of natural effects of geohazards throughout the developing world. hazards. The first must be to improve our scientific The problem of geohazards is increasing, not because understanding of the nature and causes of such hazards and to work towards more reliable prediction of their the rate of earth processes is accelerating, nor because the occurrence and magnitude.