Rosita Corrado

Assessment of the Robust Satellite Technique (RST) for volcanic ash plume identification and tracking

Volcanic clouds pose a serious threat for both aircrafts and passengers because of ash, which may cause serious damages to the flight control systems and to jet engines. Starting from 2007, an automatic satellite monitoring system has been implemented at IMAA (Institute of Methodologies of Environmental Analysis) to identify and track volcanic ash plumes using NOAA-AVHRR data. This system is capable of providing reliable information about possible volcanic ash plumes over a region of interest (ROI) within a few minute after the sensing time, thanks to the implementation of a robust multi-temporal approach of satellite data analysis named RST (Robust Satellite Technique). This approach has already shown a high potential in successfully identifying and tracking volcanic ash clouds compared to traditional techniques, both in its standard (i.e. two-channel) and advanced (i.e. three-channel) configuration. In this paper, RST performances for ash plume detection and monitoring will be further assessed, showing some recent results obtained during December 2006 and analyzing a time series of satellite observations carried out over Mount Etna area for different months in different observational conditions. In order to validate and assess RST performances, a long-term time domain analysis is in progress, also investigating periods mainly characterised by quiescent phases (i.e. with no ash emission episodes). Preliminary results of such a statistical analysis will be presented and the possible contribution of this satellite monitoring system in supporting management of strong eruptive crisis will also be discussed.

Robust Satellite Techniques (RST) for monitoring thermal anomalies in seismically active areas

On the basis of night-time Thermal Infrared (TIR) satellite observations, previous studies have been suggesting for decades a space-time correlation between TIR anomalies and earthquake activity. Among the various genetic models, the increase of greenhouse 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. In this paper the idea that an enhanced greenhouse gas emission can not be excluded among the main causes of TIR anomalies observed close to earthquake occurrence is supported by different independent observations: • The increase of Earths TIR radiation to be expected as a consequence of an increase green-house gas has been evaluated by using MODTRAN Radiative Transfer code; • TIR anomalies observed by applying the well known Robust Satellite Technique (RST). The Boumerdes/Thenia (Algeria) earthquake (21th May 2003) has been considered in order to verify this hypothesis.

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.

A New Approach for Detecting and Monitoring Saharan Dusts from Space

A New Approach for Detecting and Monitoring Saharan Dusts from Space The Saharan region has long been indicated as the main source in the world of soil dust in the atmosphere. Saharan dust storms are particularly investigated because they represent a potential risk for human health and cause damages and disruptions to the transport routes and communication. They can have direct implications (strictly related to the desertification processes affecting the Sub Saharan region) on the Earth’s climatic system and/or on the precipitation regimes. In recent years, in addition to the ground monitoring systems, several satellite techniques have been proposed to detect and monitor Saharan dust clouds. The success of these methodologies, as those exploiting the reverse absorption behaviour shown by silicate particles, in comparison with ice crystals and water droplets, at 11 and 12 μm wavelengths (split-window), is strongly dependent on the observational conditions (day/night, land/sea, etc.) and on the specific aerosol properties (mainly size distribution and complex refractive index). In particular, although dust and meteorological clouds generally show a different spectral behaviour in the split window bands, an effective discrimination of these features still represent a major issue. In this paper, a Robust Satellite data analysis Technique (RST), which already highlighted good performances in detecting desert dust aerosol, has been further tested, analyzing an important Saharan dust event affecting Mediterranean basin in May 2010, with results compared to those provided by two traditional split window methods. Outcomes of this study, achieved using, for the first time, daytime infrared MSG-SEVIRI (Meteosat Second Generation-Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infra-red Imager) data, confirm that RST, thanks to a good trade-off between sensitivity and reliability of detection, may profitably be used for monitoring Saharan dust events from space in different observational conditions.

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.

Robust Satellite Techniques (RST) for Pipeline Network Monitoring

Pipeline networks are nowadays one of most critical infrastructures, given the importance of economic and ecologic consequences in case of accidents. In order to minimize damages, the detection of man-made harmful events along pipelines should be as rapid as possible and, at the same time, what is detected should be an actual accident and not a false alarm. In this paper, a Robust Satellite Technique (RST), successfully used up to now for natural and environmental hazard monitoring, has been employed to automatically identify anomalous space-time signal transients related to man-made hazardous events along pipelines. In particular, the combination of the RST approach with high temporal resolution, offered by geostationary satellites, seems to assure both a reliable and timely detection of such hazardous events. Examples of the use of RST approach and MSG-SEVIRI data are here presented in the case of their application to Iraqi pipeline network monitoring.

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).