Mariano Lisi

A multi-sensors analysis of RST-based thermal anomalies in the case of the Abruzzo earthquake

Space-time anomalies in Thermal InfraRed (TIR) satellite imagery, from weeks to days, before severe earthquakes are reported in several studies. Among the various genetic models, the increase of green-house gas (such as CO2, CH4, etc.) emission rates, have been suggested to explain the appearance of anomalous TIR signal transients in some relation with the place and time of earthquake occurrence. Among the others, a Robust Satellite data analysis Technique (RST) was proposed to investigate possible relations between earthquake occurrence and space-time fluctuations of Earths emitted TIR radiation observed from satellite. In this paper, independent RST analysis performed over the Italian peninsula at the time of the Abruzzo earthquake (April 6, 2009; ML∼5.8) using different satellite system (MSG/SEVIRI, NOAA/AVHRR and EOS/MODIS) are presented and compared.

PRE-EARTHQUAKES, an FP7 project for integrating observations and knowledges on earthquake precursors: Preliminary results and strategy

PRE-EARTHQUAKES (Processing Russian and European EARTH observations for earthQUAKE precursors Studies) EU-FP7 project is devoted to demonstrate - integrating different observational data, comparing and improving different data analysis methods - how it is possible to progressively increase reliability of short term seismic risk assessment. Three main testing area were selected (Italy, Turkey and Sakhalin) in order to concentrate observations and integration efforts starting with a learning phase on selected events in the past devoted to identify the most suitable parameters, observations technologies, data analysis algorithms. For these areas, different ground (80 radon and 29 spring water stations in Turkey region, 2 magneto-telluric in Italy) and satellite (18 different systems) based observations, 11 data analysis methods, for 7 measured parameters, have been compared and integrated. A specific integration platform (PEG, Pre-Earthquakes Geoportal) based on OGC (Open Geospatial Consortium) standards, was developed to operate a products integration, cross-validation and scientific interpretation.

On the use of temporal vegetation indices in support of eligibility controls for EU aids in agriculture

ABSTRACT The use of remote sensing in the context of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has progressively become an official method to support European (EU) Member States in carrying out controls about declarations of farmers requiring EU subsidies in agriculture. Reliable automatic or semi-automatic methodologies aiming at crop identification are still being developed and the only technique, which is officially accepted in the CAP context, remains photo interpretation of high/very high (satellite or aerial) orthoimages. To verify past situations, only orthophotos can be used but, unfortunately, they are not always available. In these cases, the use of satellite sensors with adequate spatial, spectral, and temporal resolutions, together with a reliable data analysis technique, could support or even substitute orthophoto interpretation. In this study, we propose a multi-temporal, multispectral algorithm exploiting the Thematic Mapper/Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus data on Landsat platforms to identify different land covers in the context of CAP. Here it is presented to discriminate arable from non-arable lands. Assessment of the methodology was carried out using Corine 2012 and more than 1500 validation points over Basilicata region (Southern Italy). A general good agreement was found (74%), which increases to 82% in the specific case of arable land identification.

Long term TIR satellite monitoring over Europe, US and Asian Regions: Results and possible implications for an Integrated System for a time-Dependent Assessment of Seismic Hazard (t-DASH)

Space-time fluctuations of Earths emitted Thermal Infrared (TIR) radiation have been observed by satellite months to weeks before earthquakes occurrence. The general RST (Robust Satellite Techniques) approach has been used (since 2001) in order to discriminate normal (i.e. related to the change of natural factor and/or observation conditions) TIR signal fluctuations from anomalous signal transients possibly associated to earthquake occurrence. Since then several earthquakes occurred all around the world have been studied on the base of decades of satellite observations always using a validation/confutation approach in order to verify the presence/absence of anomalous space-time TIR transients in presence/absence of significant seismic activity. During the PRE-EARTHQUAKES EU-FP7 Project (www.pre-earthquakes.org), a real-time monitoring activity was started by applying RST approach to different geostationary satellite sensors (MSG/SEVIRI over Europe, MTSAT over Asia) systematically analyzing, day by day, TIR anomaly maps in order to identify possible significant (e.g. persistent in the space-time domain) thermal anomalies. In this paper results of two years of day-by-day TIR analysis over some European and Asian Regions will be presented together with results achieved by the analysis of six years of GOES/Imager TIR observations over Southwestern US (2006-2011). Results achieved will be discussed also in relation with anomalous signal transients observed in ionosphere in the perspective of the possible construction of an Integrated System for a time-Dependent Assessment of Seismic Hazard (t-DASH).