Satellite Technology Is being used to streamline rescue efforts in Venezuela following the two earthquakes that struck on June 24. Space agencies have shared images with emergency authorities and the Venezuelan government that not only reveal the magnitude of the disaster but also allow response teams to identify where to focus their efforts—and the challenges on the ground.
News
Following the twin earthquakes in Venezuela, the Copernicus satellite system activated its emergency mapping mode at the request of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Using imagery collected by Sentinel satellites and sensors, the system has generated 10 products and 25 maps that enable real-time assessment of the extent of damage and how terrain has shifted in 13 areas of interest. In addition, these tools have helped officials id
Initial data from Copernicus shows severe damage in the cities of La Guaira and Greater Caracas, as well as impacts on communities in Aragua, Carabobo, Falcón, and Miranda. The report notes that, as of June 27, an estimated nearly 1,300 buildings have been affected in the region.
For its part, NASA activated its Disaster Response Coordination System to produce a series of maps that show how the earthquakes displaced the Earth’s surface using data obtained by the NISAR mission, “providing key insights for emergency managers and scientists,” according to the agency.
Details
This initiative includes a pilot project aligned with Copernicus’s efforts that, using radar images captured by the Sentinel-1 satellite before and after the earthquakes, assesses the areas previously identified by the European system.
Preliminary results from the mapping model reported damage or total destruction to 58,870 buildings in areas near the epicenter of the earthquakes. Each structure identified on the map includes additional information, such as the probability of damage and the coverage fraction—an indicator showing what percentage of the building was analyzed by the satellite. To reduce errors, the system was calibrated using seismic intensity maps produced by the US Geological Survey to ensure a false alarm rate
You can access these tools here.
Analysis
Latin American countries are also providing satellite data, including Peru’s National Commission for Aerospace Research and Development. The agency said it made images obtained by the PeruSAT-1 satellite available to the Bolivarian Agency for Space Activities (ABAE) to assist with the emergency response.
PeruSAT-1 was launched in 2016 and is nearing the end of its operational life. Orbiting at an altitude of approximately 702 kilometers (436 miles), it has a sub-1-meter resolution and has captured around 500,000 images used in disaster management, monitoring public works, and detecting illicit activities.
ABAE shared data that reveals ground deformation associated with movement along the San Sebastián Fault—one of the most significant tectonic features in northern Venezuela and one that’s linked to the recent earthquakes recorded in the country.
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