/S933a 
I5PR5 
UNISPACE III - ISPRS/EARSeL Workshop on 
“Remote Sensing for the Detection, Monitoring 
and Mitigation of Natural Disasters” 
2:30-5:30 pm, 22 July 1999, VIC Room B 
Vienna, Austria 
monitoring. Global derived-products from these satellites are 
needed for updateable fire fuels maps and meso-scale weather 
models of dead fuel moisture. It is recommended that the 
continuity of these satellite systems be ensured and that a 
global operational system utilizing data from these satellites 
be developed to distribute fire data and products to users on a 
timely basis. In addition, a constellation of new satellites is 
needed for local fire detection and monitoring—with an 
ultimate detection time of 5 minutes, repeat time of 15 
minutes, spatial resolution of 250 meters, and a confidence 
rate of 95%, with real time data transmission to local users. 
Co-operative possibilities should be explored to improved 
access to higher resolution data. In the event where no single 
satellite satisfies requirements for fires, it is recommended that 
an international agreement be pursued to improve the 
accessibility and affordability of commercial data to users. 
For example, high-resolution data streams are needed for 
burnt area assessment. 
Flood. As with fire management, a wide range of data types is 
used to support the different phases of flood management. 
Data types are different for the many forms floods take—river 
floods, flash floods, coastal floods from storm surges, ice 
jams, and dam breaks. Each form relates differently to 
topography and slope instability. 
There is a need for a coherent integration of technologies that 
are applied in flood hazard management. These include 
hydrology models, remote sensing data, more traditional data, 
and Geographic Information Systems. There should be 
differentiated approaches according to the typology of the 
event. There should be an integrated approach between flood 
and slope instability. 
Technological improvements are needed including increased 
resolution of Digital Terrain Models for local application—in 
the one-ineter range. Weather satellites should have higher 
resolution radiometers—both in time and space. Microwave 
radiometers should be provided on board geostationary 
weather satellites. 
Oil Spill Oil spill management can be supported to varying 
extent by several satellite sensor types, but the Synthetic 
Aperture Radar (SAR) holds tire most potential for improving 
oil spill detection and monitoring. Insufficient frequency of 
coverage and cost of data impede routine, large-scale 
operational use of SAR data. 
Recognizing limited availability to SAR data, there should be 
joint exploitation of available C-band satellite SAR systems 
and international co-operation agreements for using airborne 
SAR systems. There should be demonstration projects for 
multi-satellite usage. 
Coordinated satellite data ordering could improve access to 
satellite data with features such as fast data acquisition 
planning, fast data and product dissemination, and a special 
data policy. 
Volcanic Hazards. Since considerations of non-volcanic ash 
hazards have been a recent addition to this team, the following 
recommendations apply only to ash cloud hazards. 
Volcanic ash management requires a global system since ash 
cloud can move rapidly through the atmosphere. In support of 
such a system, nine Volcano Ash Advisory Centers use data 
from weather and ultraviolet-sensing satellites to detect and 
track volcanic ash clouds. 
Recommended improvements include automatic detection of 
volcanic eruptions with a low false alarm rate and automatic 
detection of ash cloud edges at least every 30 minutes. More 
accurate estimation of the height of the ash cloud (less than 
one kilometer) can be achieved by observing the visible image 
shadow and ultraviolet “ring effects”. In addition, 
development and deployment of new capabilities are needed to 
replace sensors designed for other purposes, that proved 
useful for ash cloud detection, but will no longer be supported 
in the future. 
INFORMATION TOOLS 
The information server is being upgraded with an emphasis on 
improving information on each hazard page and adding 
information locator tools. The volcanic hazards team was 
tasked to improve its page to act as a template for the other 
teams. For example, the volcanic hazards team has expanding 
tutorial information in the background section and is working 
toward adding links to non-volcanic ash sites and reorganizing 
the link structure. A landslide page is being developed. 
As a first step toward providing information locator tools, two 
features are being implemented. First, a contacts database is 
being developed, which allows a potential user to locate 
providers of data and products that can support disaster 
management for specific disaster types and phases. Currently, 
a prototype using only NOAA contacts is being evaluated. 
Second, a list of “hot event” Internet sites is being developed 
where potential users can get information and data for recent 
disaster events. Some project members who do not already 
have a site for recent disasters are developing one. 
PROJECT FUTURE PLANS 
International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Vol. XXXII Part 7C2, UNISPACE III. Vienna. 1999 
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