Free access to satellite maps of Haiti earthquake

18 January 2010, 8:43am

Satellite maps of the Port-au-Prince districts, damaged as a result of the 12th January earthquake, are in free access. Maps have been prepared by SCANEX specialists based on the GeoEye-1 VHR data on behalf of the Emercom of Russia. Maps show destroyed and damaged buildings, the road net of the region and tent camps.

Central and western parts of the capital suffered worst losses. Rescue team of Russian Emercom has already started to operate in Port-au-Prince. The base camp has been deployed on the territory of the international airport of Port-au-Prince.

World leading RS Operators have demonstrated high operability in supplying impartial space images of the emergency area. Thus, for example, the American GeoEye-1 satellite delivered images of the disaster area on January 13. Google company posted this image for free access. Highly-detailed images of the impacted area have been provided in near real-time by such satellite system Operators as DigitalGlobe (USA), SpotImage (France), ImageSat Int. (Israel), as well as by the Russian Resurs-DK1 satellite operator – the Research Center for Earth Operative Monitoring of the Russian Federal Space Agency.

Over the past years we start to witness international efforts of the organization and institutions of different countries in gathering satellite imagery and distribution of satellite data products. For example, the web-site of the international UNOSAT and the UNITAR UN Institute posted a series of satellite maps, enabling to analyze and estimate the scale and geography of destructions in the city of Port-au-Prince. To the first time, among the materials published, the maps created at SCANEX Center became available. Such a well-coordinated application of new satellite images for monitoring and control allows the organizations, involved in rescue operations, to make timely and reasoned decisions with due account for the actual situation. The first international campaign on taking satellite images of the emergency area was waged in 2004 after the disastrous tsunami in the Indian Ocean.

Nowadays, space images provide the most unbiased and up-to-date information about objects, processes and events and enable to perform a comprehensive monitoring of the territories, to assess consequences and to take decisions, minimizing the risks of emergencies. SCANEX Center will continue to monitor the earthquake aftermath using satellite images.

Image shown: Satellite maps of the Port-au-Prince districts, impacted during the earthquake. Prepared by SCANEX RDC

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Geo: International