The Race Against Time – Utilizing Damage Proxy Maps for Disaster Response

EarthzineDEVELOP Summer 2014 VPS, Original

Project Team: Global Disasters Team
Team Location: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Damage Proxy Map of Hurricane Sandy centered on the New York and New Jersey border, layered with LandScan population data and Homeland Security road networks. Image Credit: Global Disasters Team.

Damage Proxy Map of Hurricane Sandy centered on the New York and New Jersey border, layered with LandScan population data and Homeland Security road networks. Image Credit: Global Disasters Team.

Authors:
Sara Lafia, Project Lead (California State Polytechnic University, Pamona)
Judy Cheng (University of California, Los Angeles)
Lan Nguyen (California State Polytechnic University, Pamona)

Mentors/Advisors:
Benjamin Holt (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)
Dr. Sang-Ho Yun (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory)

Past/Other Contributors:
Rodell Zorilla (University of California, Los Angeles)

Abstract:
Natural disasters such as fires, floods, and hurricanes claim many lives and result in economic losses. In the aftermath of such devastating events, an accurate and comprehensive assessment of damage is needed for rapid rescue response to minimize loss of life and begin the recovery process. The Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology have developed a prototype damage-detection algorithm that uses NASA’s Gulfstream G3 L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) products and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Advanced Land Observing Satellite Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (ALOS PALSAR) data to produce damage proxy maps (DPMs) of urban area building damage in affected regions. Data from the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) Constellation of Small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO)-SkyMed X-band SAR products also provided building damage information. These DPMs indicate areas that have undergone changes in surface conditions due to different natural disasters. They can be used to identify damaged structures and assess the extent of damage in a region, particularly in remote regions where ground access can be difficult. Developing a Web-based validation interface will eliminate time-consuming data conversions in the DPM validation process, supporting disaster response agencies in rapid rescue and emergency supply logistics.

 

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