Situational Awareness of Large Infrastructures Using Remote Sensing: The Rome–Fiumicino Airport during the COVID-19 Lockdown

Situational awareness refers to the process of aggregating spatio-temporal variables and measurements from different sources, aiming to improve the semantic outcome. Remote Sensing satellites for Earth Observation acquire key variables that, when properly aggregated, can provide precious insights about the observed area. This article introduces a novel automatic system to monitor the activity levels and the operability of large infrastructures from satellite data. We integrate multiple data sources acquired by different spaceborne sensors, such as Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) time series, Sentinel-2 multispectral data, and Pleiades Very-High-Resolution (VHR) optical data. The proposed methodology exploits the synergy between these sensors for extracting, at the same time, quantitative and qualitative results. We focus on generating semantic results, providing situational awareness, and decision-ready insights. We developed this methodology for the COVID-19 Custom Script Contest, a remote hackathon funded by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission (EC), whose aim was to promote remote sensing techniques to monitor environmental factors consecutive to the spread of the Coronavirus disease. This work focuses on the Rome–Fiumicino International Airport case study, an environment significantly affected by the COVID-19 crisis. The resulting product is a unique description of the airport’s area utilization before and after the air traffic restrictions imposed between March and May 2020, during Italy’s first lockdown. Experimental results confirm that the proposed algorithm provides remarkable insights for supporting an effective decision-making process. We provide results about the airport’s operability by retrieving temporal changes at high spatial and temporal resolutions, together with the airplane count and localization for the same period in 2019 and 2020. On the one hand, we detected an evident change of the activity levels on those airport areas typically designated for passenger transportation, e.g., the one close to the gates. On the other hand, we observed an intensification of the activity levels over areas usually assigned to landside operations, e.g., the one close to the hangar. Analogously, the airplane count and localization have shown a redistribution of the airplanes over the whole airport. New parking slots have been identified as well as the areas that have been dismissed. Eventually, by combining the results from different sensors, we could affirm that different airport surface areas have changed their functionality and give a non-expert interpretation about areas’ usage.

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Utilization of BEAM and NEST open source toolboxes in education and research

Geoinformatics FCE CTU ◽

10.14311/gi.5.3 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 5 ◽

pp. 37-48

Author(s):

Markéta Potůčková ◽

Eva Štefanová

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Open Source ◽

Satellite Images ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Radar Data ◽

Optical Data ◽

Basic Principles ◽

Data Formats ◽

Space Agency ◽

Sar Imagery

European Space Agency (ESA) provides several open source toolboxes for visualization, processing and analyzing satellite images acquired both in optical and microwave domains. Basic ERS & Envisat (A)ATSR and MERIS Toolbox (BEAM) was originally developed for easier handling ENVISAT optical data. Today this toolbox supports several raster data formats and datasets collected with other EO instruments such as MODIS, AVHRR, CHRIS/Proba. The NEXT ESA SAR Toolbox (NEST) has been created for processing radar data acquired from different satellites such as ERS 1&2, ENVISAT, RADARSAT or TerraSAR X. Both toolboxes are suitable for the education of the basic principles of data processing (geometric and radiometric corrections, classification, filtering of radar data) but also for research. Possibilities for utilization of these toolboxes in remote sensing courses based on two examples of practical exercises are described. Use of the NEST toolbox is demonstrated on a research project dealing with snow cover detection from SAR imagery.

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Applicability of NGGM near-real time simulations in flood detection

Journal of Geodetic Science ◽

10.1515/jogs-2019-0011 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 111-126

Author(s):

A. F. Purkhauser ◽

J. A. Koch ◽

R. Pail

Keyword(s):

European Space Agency ◽

Earth System ◽

The Earth ◽

Future Mission ◽

Space Agency ◽

Flood Detection ◽

The One ◽

Real Time Simulations ◽

Grace Mission ◽

Gravity Mission

Abstract The GRACE mission has demonstrated a tremendous potential for observing mass changes in the Earth system from space for climate research and the observation of climate change. Future mission should on the one hand extend the already existing time series and also provide higher spatial and temporal resolution that is required to fulfil all needs placed on a future mission. To analyse the applicability of such a Next Generation Gravity Mission (NGGM) concept regarding hydrological applications, two GRACE-FO-type pairs in Bender formation are analysed. The numerical closed loop simulations with a realistic noise assumption are based on the short arc approach and make use of the Wiese approach, enabling a self-de-aliasing of high-frequency atmospheric and oceanic signals, and a NRT approach for a short latency. Numerical simulations for future gravity mission concepts are based on geophysical models, representing the time-variable gravity field. First tests regarding the usability of the hydrology component contained in the Earth System Model (ESM) by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the analysis regarding a possible flood monitoring and detection showed a clear signal in a third of the analysed flood cases. Our analysis of selected cases found that detection of floods was clearly possible with the reconstructed AOHIS/HIS signal in 20% of the tested examples, while in 40% of the cases a peak was visible but not clearly recognisable.

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On the Use of Tri-Stereo Pleiades Images for the Morphometric Measurement of Dolines in the Basaltic Plateau of Azrou (Middle Atlas, Morocco)

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13204087 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (20) ◽

pp. 4087

Author(s):

Maria Teresa Melis ◽

Luca Pisani ◽

Jo De Waele

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Satellite Image ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Morphometric Study ◽

Stereo Images ◽

Space Agency ◽

Middle Atlas ◽

Mapping Techniques ◽

Remote Sensing Techniques ◽

Basaltic Plateau

Hundreds of large and deep collapse dolines dot the surface of the Quaternary basaltic plateau of Azrou, in the Middle Atlas of Morocco. In the absence of detailed topographic maps, the morphometric study of such a large number of features requires the use of remote sensing techniques. We present the processing, extraction, and validation of depth measurements of 89 dolines using tri-stereo Pleiades images acquired in 2018–2019 (the European Space Agency (ESA) © CNES 2018, distributed by Airbus DS). Satellite image-derived DEMs were field-verified using traditional mapping techniques, which showed a very good agreement between field and remote sensing measures. The high resolution of these tri-stereo images allowed to automatically generate accurate morphometric datasets not only regarding the planimetric parameters of the dolines (diameters, contours, orientation of long axes), but also for what concerns their depth and altimetric profiles. Our study demonstrates the potential of using these types of images on rugged morphologies and for the measurement of steep depressions, where traditional remote sensing techniques may be hindered by shadow zones and blind portions. Tri-stereo images might also be suitable for the measurement of deep and steep depressions (skylights and collapses) on Martian and Lunar lava flows, suitable targets for future planetary cave exploration.

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The Rosetta Mission to Primitive Bodies of the Solar System

Symposium - International Astronomical Union ◽

10.1017/s0074180900046660 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 160 ◽

pp. 381-394

Author(s):

Yves Langevin

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Solar System ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Time Span ◽

Main Belt ◽

Space Agency ◽

Rosetta Mission ◽

One Year ◽

Definition Of

The European Space Agency (ESA) has selected Rosetta as the next cornerstone mission, to be launched in 2003. The goal is to perfom one or more fly-bys to main belt asteroids, followed by a rendez-vous with an active comet. Advanced in situ analysis, both in the coma and on the surfaces of the nucleus, will be possible, as well as monitoring by remote sensing instruments of the nucleus and of the inner coma for a time span of more than one year, until perihelion. This paper outlines the scientific and technological choices done in the definition of the mission.

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Remote sensing of snow and atmosphere properties using Ocean and Land Colour Instrument on board Copernicus Sentinel-3 mission

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-21774 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexander Kokhanovsky ◽

Jason Box ◽

Baptiste Vandecrux ◽

Michael Kern

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Atmospheric Correction ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Satellite Observations ◽

Snow Properties ◽

Retrieval Technique ◽

Space Agency ◽

Correction Technique ◽

Cloud Screening

In this work we propose a simple technique to derive snow and atmosphere properties from satellite top-of-atmosphere spectral reflectance observations using asymptotic radiative transfer theory valid for the case of weakly absorbing and optically thick media. The following snow properties are derived and analyzed: ice grain size, snow specific surface area, snow pollution load, snow spectral and broadband albedo. The developed retrieval technique includes both atmospheric correction and cloud screening routines and is based on Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI) measurements on board Sentinel-3A, B. The spectral aerosol optical thickness, total ozone and water vapour column are derived fitting the measured and simulated OLCI-registered spectral reflectances at 21 OLCI channels.The derived results are validated using ground - based observations. It follows that satellite observations can be used to study time series of spectral and broadband albedo over Greenland. The deviations of satellite and ground observations are due to problems with cloud screening over snow and also due to different spatial scale of satellite and ground observations (Kokhanovsky et al., 2020).AcknowledgementsThe work has been supported by the European Space Agency in the framework of ESRIN contract No. 4000118926/16/I-NB &#8216;Scientific Exploitation of Operational Missions (SEOM) Sentinel-3 Snow (Sentinel-3 for Science, Land Study 1: Snow&#8217;) and ESRIN contract 4000125043 &#8211; ESA/AO/1-9101/17/I-NB EO science for society &#8216;Pre-operational Sentinel-3 snow and ice products&#8217;.ReferencesKokhanovsky, A.A., et al. (2020), The determination of snow albedo from satellite observations using fast atmospheric correction technique, Remote Sensing, 12 (2), 234, &#160;https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12020234.

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A Spatial and Temporal Continuum Remotely Sensed Soil Moisture Dataset of the Tibet Plateau From 2002 to 2015

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-20846 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yaokui Cui ◽

Chao Zeng ◽

Jie Zhou ◽

Xi Chen

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Land Surface ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Remotely Sensed ◽

General Regression Neural Network ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Space Agency ◽

Spatio Temporal

Abstract:Surface soil moisture plays an important role in the exchange of water and energy between the land surface and the atmosphere, and critical to climate change study. The Tibetan Plateau (TP), known as &#8220;The third pole of the world&#8221; and &#8220;Asia&#8217;s water towers&#8221;, exerts huge influences on and sensitive to global climates. Long time series of and spatio-temporal continuum soil moisture is helpful to understand the role of TP in this situation. In this study, a dataset of 14-year (2002&#8211;2015) Spatio-temporal continuum remotely sensed soil moisture of the TP at 0.25&#176; resolution is obtained, combining MODIS optical products and ESA (European Space Agency) ECV (Essential Climate Variable) combined soil moisture products based on General Regression Neural Network (GRNN). The validation of the dataset shows that the soil moisture is well reconstructed with R2 larger than 0.65, and RMSE less than 0.08 cm3 cm-3 and Bias less than 0.07 cm3 cm-3 at 0.25&#176; and 1&#176; spatial scale, compared with the in-situ measurements in the central of TP. And then, spatial&#160;and&#160;temporal&#160;characteristics and trend of SM over TP were analyzed based on this dataset.Keywords: Soil moisture; Remote Sensing; Dataset; GRNN; ECV; Tibetan Plateau

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ERS-1: its payload and potential

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A, Mathematical and Physical Sciences ◽

10.1098/rsta.1984.0054 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 312 (1519) ◽

pp. 103-108 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Technological Advance ◽

International Project ◽

Marketing Activity ◽

Space Agency ◽

Remote Sensing Satellite ◽

Potential Customers

European Remote Sensing Satellite Number 1 (ERS-1) is a truly international project promoted by the European Space Agency (E.S.A.) and involving 10 countries. The decisions about what should be the aims of the satellite have been reached as the result of lengthy discussions between E.S.A. and potential customers, and of course have also had to take into account the budgetary limitations imposed by the participating countries. The major objectives of ERS-1 are set out in the paper together with a very brief outline of the capabilities of the instruments required to meet these objectives. The paper concludes by suggesting areas in which there is a need for technological advance, which combined with concentrated marketing activity will ensure a commercial future for the remote sensing capability that will be demonstrated by ERS-1.

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Coordination within the remote sensing payload on the Solar Orbiter mission

Astronomy and Astrophysics ◽

10.1051/0004-6361/201937032 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 642 ◽

pp. A6 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

F. Auchère ◽

V. Andretta ◽

E. Antonucci ◽

N. Bach ◽

M. Battaglia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Planning Process ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Space Mission ◽

Integrated System ◽

Solar Interior ◽

Space Agency ◽

Synergistic Approach ◽

Communication Scheme ◽

Cross Calibration

Context. To meet the scientific objectives of the mission, the Solar Orbiter spacecraft carries a suite of in-situ (IS) and remote sensing (RS) instruments designed for joint operations with inter-instrument communication capabilities. Indeed, previous missions have shown that the Sun (imaged by the RS instruments) and the heliosphere (mainly sampled by the IS instruments) should be considered as an integrated system rather than separate entities. Many of the advances expected from Solar Orbiter rely on this synergistic approach between IS and RS measurements. Aims. Many aspects of hardware development, integration, testing, and operations are common to two or more RS instruments. In this paper, we describe the coordination effort initiated from the early mission phases by the Remote Sensing Working Group. We review the scientific goals and challenges, and give an overview of the technical solutions devised to successfully operate these instruments together. Methods. A major constraint for the RS instruments is the limited telemetry (TM) bandwidth of the Solar Orbiter deep-space mission compared to missions in Earth orbit. Hence, many of the strategies developed to maximise the scientific return from these instruments revolve around the optimisation of TM usage, relying for example on onboard autonomy for data processing, compression, and selection for downlink. The planning process itself has been optimised to alleviate the dynamic nature of the targets, and an inter-instrument communication scheme has been implemented which can be used to autonomously alter the observing modes. We also outline the plans for in-flight cross-calibration, which will be essential to the joint data reduction and analysis. Results. The RS instrument package on Solar Orbiter will carry out comprehensive measurements from the solar interior to the inner heliosphere. Thanks to the close coordination between the instrument teams and the European Space Agency, several challenges specific to the RS suite were identified and addressed in a timely manner.

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Cosmic radiation exposure of aviators for solar cycles 23 and 24

NMDB@Home 2020 - Cosmic ray studies with neutron detectors ◽

10.38072/2748-3150/p13 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 109-113

Author(s):

Pavlos Paschalis ◽

Anastasia Tezari ◽

Helen Mavromichalaki ◽

Pantelis Karaiskos ◽

Norma Crosby ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Radiation Exposure ◽

Situational Awareness ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Cosmic Ray ◽

Solar Cycles ◽

Cosmic Ray Intensity ◽

Software Application ◽

Dose Rates ◽

Space Agency ◽

Ambient Dose Equivalent

Assessing the radiation exposure of aviators and frequent flyers requires the study of the cosmic ray showers inside the Earth’s atmosphere. DYASTIMA / DYASTIMA-R is a Geant4 based software application, implemented by the Athens Cosmic Ray Group which allows the study of the evolving secondary particles cascades inside the atmosphere, as well as radiation dosimetry calculations (ambient dose equivalent rate) at different atmosphe - ric altitudes, geographic coordinates and magnetic cut-off rigidity. Results for various scenarios, as calculated by DYASTIMA/DYASTIMA-R, are provided as a federated product through the European Space Agency Space Situational Awareness of the Space Radiation Service Centre Network, while the DYASTIMA software is provi- ded through the Athens Neutron Monitor Station (A.Ne.Mo.S.) portal. Initial results for the assessment of the radiation exposure during the last Solar Cycles 23 and 24 are presented in this work, covering the most usual flying altitudes. The results indicate the dependence of the dose rate on the magnetic cut-off rigidity threshold, with higher dose rates at high geographic latitudes, as well as the anti-correlation of cosmic ray intensity with the solar activity, as higher dose rates are observed during solar minimum conditions.

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Fires Monitoring by Means of Spectral Indices from Sentinel-2 Data: the Case Study of the Vesuvius and Lattari Mountains, Campania (Italy)

10.20944/preprints202009.0069.v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Domenico Antonio Giuseppe Dell'Aglio ◽

Carmine Gambardella ◽

Massimiliano Gargiulo ◽

Antonio Iodice ◽

Rosaria Parente ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Remote Sensing ◽

Forest Fires ◽

European Space Agency ◽

Fire Risk ◽

Fire Detection ◽

Spectral Indices ◽

Active Fire ◽

Space Agency ◽

Repeat Time ◽

Sentinel 2

Forest fires are part of a set of natural disasters that have always affected regions of the world typically characterized by a tropical climate with long periods of drought. However, due to climate change in recent years, other regions of our planet have also been affected by this phenomenon, never seen before. One of them is certainly the Italian peninsula, and especially the regions of southern Italy. For this reason, the scientific community, as well as remote sensing one, is highly concerned in developing reliable techniques to provide useful support to the competent authorities. In particular, three specific tasks have been carried out in this work: (i) fire risk prevention, (ii) active fire detection, and (iii) post-fire area assessment. To accomplish these analyses, the capability of a set of spectral indices, derived from spaceborne remote sensing (RS) data, is assessed to monitor the forest fires. The spectral indices are obtained from Sentinel-2 multispectral images of the European Space Agency (ESA), which are free of charge and openly accessible. Moreover, the twin Sentinel-2 sensors allow to overcome some restrictions on time delivery and observation repeat time. The performance of the proposed analyses were assessed experimentally to monitor the forest fires occurred in two specific study areas during the summer of 2017: the volcano Vesuvius, near Naples, and the Lattari mountains, near Sorrento (both in Campania, Italy).

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