USE OF SATELLITE SAR DATA FOR SEISMIC RISK MANAGEMENT: RESULTS FROM THE PRE-OPERATIONAL ASI-SIGRIS PROJECT

Abstract

In the framework of the National Space Programme, and of the European GMES Programme, the Italian Space Agency (ASI) has funded several pilot projects aimed at demonstrating the full potential of Earth Observation data in the monitoring and management of natural hazards. The SIGRIS (Earth Observation System for Seismic Risk Management) pilot project has developed a hardware/software infrastructure for the generation of decision support products for the seismic risk management. A pre-operational demonstration of the SIGRIS system is being carried out since June 2009 and various products to be used by civil protection authorities in either the Knowledge & Prevention or Crisis Management phases of seismic risk management, have been generated. SIGRIS products to support the Knowledge & Prevention activities are based on the integration of satellite and ground-based observations to constrain analytical and numerical models of the tectonic strain accumulation and of its long-term effects on the earthquake source. They include crustal deformation maps from time series DInSAR and GPS, and fault models to improve the seismic hazard assessment. SIGRIS products for the Crisis Management phase are instead focused on the quick generation of value added information needed to devise damage or event scenarios, and typically consist of damage assessment maps from high resolution optical and SAR data, co-seismic displacements maps from DInSAR analysis, seismic source models, maps of earthquake-induced environmental effects (landslides, surface fractures, ecc.). For these products a near-real time capability is required and new constellations, as COSMO-SkyMed , can now provide the necessary temporal revisit to fulfil this need. The SIGRIS system is also depending on other SAR satellites to ensure a faster and better coverage of the disaster areas: ENVISAT, Radarsat, TerraSar X, ALOS. We will present examples of the SIGRIS decision support products based on the integration of Earth Observation and ground data and discuss important issues related to disaster applications, as EO data programming, fast data access, data archival.