. 24/7 Space News .
EARTH OBSERVATION
Satellite Imagery Aids Rescue Efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Nov 21, 2017


Image of Hurricane Maria and Tropical Storm Jose acquired by the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite 13 at 1:15 p.m. local time on September 19, 2017. The satellite is operated by NOAA while NASA helps develop and launch the GOES series of satellites.

The calls for assistance started days before Hurricane Harvey came barreling across America's doorstep this summer. First responders and government officials needed answers to prepare and protect communities.

How strong is this storm going to be? What kind of damage occurred on its path through the Caribbean? How might it impact southeast Texas once it makes landfall?

Remotely sensed imagery was provided-at no cost and almost daily-through the USGS Hazard Data Distribution System (HDDS) for analysis on the extent, severity and evolution of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria.

"USGS staff worked around the clock to keep HDDS populated with satellite and aerial imagery," said Brenda Jones, who is the disaster response coordinator for the USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (EROS).

15,000 images were downloaded from HDDS following the three storms. Requests came from forty eight government agencies, including the U.S. Senate, Foreign Agricultural Service, Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As an example, Harvey dropped as much as 52 inches of rain in Houston, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency used data from HDDS to identify roads and other infrastructure that were under water in an effort to better direct rescue efforts.

"Quick, easy and centralized access to high-quality imagery made it possible to create maps that were useful to disaster management authorities," said Jones. "We haven't had a hurricane season like this for a very long time, and the HDDS system proved invaluable to rescue efforts."

HDDS is useful for numerous hazard situations in addition to hurricanes. For example, following the recent earthquake near Mexico City, imagery provided through HDDS allowed first responders to see collapsed buildings, blocked roads and damaged infrastructure. During fire season, HDDS makes it possible for first responders to have wide-scale pictures of situations.

HDDS acquires imagery and data from several sources, including the International Charter for Space and Major Disasters, of which the USGS is a member. Once the hurricane season blossomed, USGS EROS staff began pulling data acquired by space and aerial systems and loading them into HDDS.

EARTH OBSERVATION
Mapping functional diversity of forests with remote sensing
Zurich, Switzerland (SPX) Nov 16, 2017
Ecological studies have demonstrated positive relationships between plant diversity and ecosystem functioning. Forests with higher functional diversity are generally more productive and stable over long timescales than less diverse forests. Diverse plant communities show increased resource use efficiency and utilization, enhanced ecosystem productivity and stability and can better cope wit ... read more

Related Links
United States Geological Survey
Earth Observation News - Suppiliers, Technology and Application


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

EARTH OBSERVATION
Can a magnetic sail slow down an interstellar probe

Robotic arm reaches out and grapples Cygnus

SSL Selected to Conduct Power and Propulsion Study for NASA's Deep Space Gateway Concept

MDA Selects AdaCore's GNAT Pro Assurance Development Platform for ISS Software

EARTH OBSERVATION
SpaceX postpones launch of secretive Zuma mission

NASA launches next-generation weather satellite

Baikonur for Russia, Kazakhstan offers UAE Baikonur for launches

Orbital ATK launches eighth cargo mission to space

EARTH OBSERVATION
NASA Selects Instrument for Future International Mission to Martian Moons

Fracture swarms on Mars driven by ancient tectonics

New partnership on Mars drone applications research

Russia's Roscosmos may take part in creation of 'Martian Town' in Dubai

EARTH OBSERVATION
China plans first sea based launch by 2018

China's reusable spacecraft to be launched in 2020

Space will see Communist loyalty: Chinese astronaut

China launches three satellites

EARTH OBSERVATION
Space Launch plans UK industry tour

Astronaut meets volcano

European Space Week starts in Estonia

New Chinese sat comms company awaits approval

EARTH OBSERVATION
UW researchers ready for era of "big data" astronomy

Lockheed Martin Achieves Long Range Discrimination Radar Critical Design Review On-Schedule

The environmental implications of 3-D printing

Scientific advances can make it easier to recycle plastics

EARTH OBSERVATION
Images of strange solar system visitor peel away some of the mystery

Lava or Not, Exoplanet 55 Cancri e Likely to have Atmosphere

Closest temperate world orbiting quiet star discovered

NASA plans mission to study why planets lose their atmospheres

EARTH OBSERVATION
Pluto's hydrocarbon haze keeps dwarf planet colder than expected

Jupiter's Stunning Southern Hemisphere

Watching Jupiter's multiple pulsating X-ray Aurora

Help Nickname New Horizons' Next Flyby Target









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.