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Disaster prevention
from space

When a volcano erupts, aeroplanes have to stay grounded. Typhoons, flooding, and earthquakes devastate huge land domains. Forest fires and landslides destroy residential estates. We cannot prevent natural disasters from happening; however, we are able to predict them with increasing precision – with the help of satellite data.

Weather satellites such as the European Meteosats, radar satellites such as the German TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X or the European Sentinel-1 and optical satellites such as Sentinel-2 are scanning the Earth around the clock. Meteorologists and disaster prevention personnel evaluate the data. Changes of the Earth’s surface might signalise forthcoming disasters. Before and after comparisons elucidate the extent of destruction in next to no time. This in turn is the basis for disaster relief being as efficient as possible.

Situation maps of disaster areas are drawn up, for example, by the DLR Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information, by the Federal Agency for Cartography and Geodesy, or by the European Copernicus Emergency Management Service. They are used all over the world.

Prediction of volcanic ash – in 2011, the eruption of the Eyjafjallajökull volcano on Iceland brought large parts of the air traffic over Europe to a halt. Ash clouds are a threat to aircraft turbines. With better information, the closure of the airspace could be much more precise in the future.

Measurement of volcanos – through radar satellites such as the German “twins” TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X or the European Sentinel-1, volcanos can be measured and their elevations and descents can be precisely detected. Experts can derive from this data what goes on below the surface and if a volcano is likely to erupt. Authorities use such insights, for example, to classify “no-go areas” for tourists and to make preparations for evacuations that may become necessary.

Caution: typhoon! The super typhoon Haiyan, one of the most vigorous tropical cyclones of all times, hit the Philippines in November 2013. Thousands of casualties and more than eleven millions of affected people. However, the number of casualties was “relatively” low since early warning had worked.

Using weather and infrared satellites, meteorologists can predict the intensity of a typhoon developing above the ocean based on the surface temperature of the water. How hard a current typhoon or hurricane will hit the coast can be derived from the measurement of wind speeds and wave heights.

The help after – here you can see a damage map of the city of Bogo after the typhoon Haiyan, drawn up by DLR’s Center for Satellite-Based Crisis Information (ZKI) based on WorldView-1 data in order to support helpers at the scene. They depend on such before and after maps for better coordination of help. The DLR provided this analysis in the context of an activation of the “International Charter Space and Major Disasters”. This group of international space agencies organises fast and best possible coverage of disaster areas by satellite data in order to support civil protection authorities at the scene or UN organisations. For this purpose, the DLR regularly provides German satellite data.

Often tropical cyclones are accompanied by devastating inundations. Parts of Mozambique were submerged for days in March 2019, about 1.7 million people were affected. The DLR/ZKI established a map based on data from the TerraSAR-X and Sentinel satellites that shows the period of inundation between one and nine days in a colour range from green to red.

When the water rises … Since 2012, continuously updated flooding forecasts have been available for Europe thanks to the European Flood Awareness System (EFAS). Historical and current satellite data as well as measuring values of local measuring stations (for example rain, water level, and temperatures) are combined and made accessible to disaster management personnel on a central platform. The image shows the consequences of a dike burst on June 18, 2013 near Fischbeck in Saxony-Anhalt, 80 per cent of the houses are damaged. Particularly with inundations, satellites such as TerraSAR-X or Sentinel-1 display a special strength. Contrary to optical satellites, they are capable of “looking” through clouds. And in regions where inundations are often caused by extreme rainfall, experience has shown that clouds are always an important factor.

Helping relief forces in case of a dam burst … The iron ore mine near the village Brumadinho in the east of Brazil has a detention reservoir with dam for muddy residues from ore processing. The dam burst in January 2019. Millions of tons of mud disgorged over the surroundings. More than 200 people died. Within the framework of the “International Charter Space and Major Disasters“ data from the optical RapidEye satellites were made available by the DLR, which the Brazilian authority for disaster management (CENAD) used to establish maps of the flooded area and the affected villages to support the rescue missions on site.

Getting a better understanding of earthquakes … Radar satellites can measure elevations, descents and shifts of the Earth’s surface with a precision of a few millimetres. Scientists analyse the movement patterns, combine them with further geological data and thus improve the risk assessment for imminent earthquakes. The image shows the shifts of the Earth during an earthquake in the Emilia Romagna in 2012: Earth movements of 20 centimetres and more are marked in red (mainly near the epicentre), minor aftershocks are marked in white.

Warning of landslides … In case of natural disasters, one casualty in six dies because of landslides. They can hardly be predicted since they occur suddenly. However, with a mix of radar satellites, optical images, and geological information, slopes in mountainous regions can be monitored over a longer period of time.

Warning of landslides … Even the slightest movements of slopes are detected, and endangered regions are defined more precisely. This knowledge helps in better planning of protective measures and the designation of building land in high-risk areas can be prevented. The image shows a map of the landslide risk potential of the enclosed basin of the river Arno in Italy. It has been drawn up using, among other things, movement data with millimetre precision from radar satellites, optical images or data for land use and geomorphology. Orange = endangered, yellow = low risk, green = safe.

Keeping forest fires at bay fast … More than 50,000 forest fires and approx. 500,000 hectares of devastated forest every year – in the EU alone. And the risk gets higher since the climate change makes summer heat waves and drought periods in Europe more likely. Forest fires often remain undetected for too long since they begin in secluded regions. From space, we can get a better overview: satellites with infrared detectors recognise even the smallest fire source – and that almost in real time; fighting starts earlier. After the forest fire, affected regions can be mapped better and reforestation can be executed in a more targeted manner. The European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) and the “Global Wildfire Information System“ make fire visible worldwide – from the embers in the steel mills to the beginning jungle fire. Data on forest fire regions, processed from numerous satellite sources, can be traced back for more than ten years on “firemaps.net.“, a web service provided by ZEBRIS from Munich.

The drought comes before the fire … When do forest or bush fires occur? First and foremost, if soils and vegetation are very dry. The (missing) humidity of soils is detected, among other things, with the help of satellite data. The “European Drought Observatory“ is in charge for this task. Of course, these data are also very important for agriculture.

Disaster warning for the trouser pocket

The warning app NINA of the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance sets off an alarm if the own environment is threatened by a disaster or severe weather – as a warning system running in parallel to sirens and radio. NINA is connected to MoWaS, the modular warning system. The warning message is transmitted by the releasing control centre, well protected against power failure and disaster, via satellite (and, in addition, via cable) and thus reaches the warning systems, like, for example, NINA.

The European Copernicus Emergency Management Service (EMS)

Flood disasters, storms, forest and bush fires, earthquakes, volcano eruptions, landslides, tsunamis, or disasters caused by human activities (chemical accidents, reactor accidents, oil spill, wars, and refugee affliction) are threatening humans and nature in many places. Those who live in an endangered region often lose all their belongings in a disaster.

In cases of disaster, the EMS has been providing bundled disaster information since April 2012. This is the basis for supporting staff to prevent consequences that would be even worse. Depending on place and situation, updated damage maps are submitted to supporting staff within few hours after the inquiry or can be accessed online.

These are the emergencies in which EMS services were used. EMS builds on a series of projects initiated by the European Commission and ESA, and in particular on the data of European satellites. The Sentinel satellites are particularly important. Sentinel-1, for example, supports the detection and assessment of floods, landslides and seismic movements. Sentinel-2 provides basic maps and data on inundations, erosion, and makes various land utilisation visible. Sentinel-3 can detect fire, and Sentinel-5P detects air pollution.

The commitment of the DLR in disaster management: membership in the “International Charter Space and Major Disasters”

Over 600 activations in the 20 years since its foundation: the DLR in its capacity as German space agency contributes its satellites and expertise in disaster management on a global basis through its membership in the “International Charter Space and Major Disasters”. The charter designates the consolidation of numerous space agencies making available satellite images and information derived from them as quickly as possible and free of charge if a major natural disaster has occurred somewhere on Earth.

Disaster management authorities throughout the world can register as users of the charter and can activate the help mechanism in case of a disaster on their own.

Within the framework of its charter membership, the DLR provides data of the German radar satellites TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X as well as optical RapidEye images for disaster management.

FireBIRD: the German fire detectors in space

The German satellites TET-1 and BIROS are members of the “FireBIRD” team. The two “firebirds” are flying at an altitude of 520 kilometres and detect forest fires and smaller fires through infrared sensor technology. The aim is not only the detection of fires but most notably the documentation of their spread. In this way, fires can be better researched – and that can contribute to preventing some fires in the future. The data from FireBIRD are also used by the ZKI.

The DLR Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI)

In addition, the DLR operates its own Center for Satellite Based Crisis Information (ZKI), among other things to be able to quickly respond to requests of German authorities.

Procurement and analysis of satellite image data in critical situations and for the security of major events
Basic and emergency mapping according to user needs and situational needs
24/7 standby operation
Training and education of crisis response staff
Support of civil defence exercises

Major fire on a military training area, Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. On June 28, the fire was reported as “extinguished”. However, hot spots sparked new fires. The map is of July 1, 2019: relief forces can see on the map provided by the ZKI, which villages are threatened by the fire, which streets are passable, and first of all, the fire sources and hot spots – since satellites can “see” through clouds and treetops. In this way, relief forces can do better planning. The data come from the Sentinel-2 satellite and show, on the one hand, the area in “true colours” and, on the other hand, as false colour imaging, created with the help of near-infrared channels.

Examples of charter activations

Japan, tsunami 2011: a before-and-after mapping by the Japanese space agency JAXA based on RapidEye images.

Japan, tsunami 2011: mapping of flooded areas, drawn up by ZKI based on a TerraSAR-X image.

This is how maps look like that have been drawn up within the framework of the charter

Disaster preventionfrom space