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[SatNews] On March 5th through 7th, EUMETSAT hosted the first meeting of the joint Working Group on Climate of the Committee for Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) and the Coordination Group for meteorological Satellites (CGMS).

The goals of this working group are to establish an inventory of existing records of Essential Climate Variables derived from observations from space, to plan the production of more Climate Data Records and to optimize planning of future satellites to expand records and avoid data gaps. This meeting followed a workshop of the SCOPE-CM (Sustained, Co-Ordinated Processing of Environmental Satellite Data for Climate Monitoring) international initiative supported by the World Meteorological Organisation and a network of operators of environmental satellite systems, where work plans for cooperative Climate Data Record generation projects were established. EUMETSAT’s climate monitoring activities encompass re-calibration and inter-satellite calibration, production of homogeneous series of basic observations by reprocessing and downstream production of Climate Data Records for Essential Climate Variables. The activities involve the distributed network of Satellite Application Facilities, in particular the Climate Monitoring SAF led by DWD, and contributions to selected cooperative projects with international partners.

On March 10th through 12th, EUMETSAT will support a workshop in Grainau, Germany, gathering the users of its Climate Monitoring Satellite Application Facility, led by the Deutsche Wetterdienst, to discuss the usage and development of satellite-based climate monitoring products and services in response to user needs. The engagement in global climate services in 2014 will culminate in the Climate Symposium that EUMETSAT is organising with the World Climate Research Program in Darmstadt on October 13th through 17th. Bringing together international climate scientists, experts from space agencies as well as high-level representatives from other stakeholders, the symposium will discuss how satellite operators could jointly address the scientific challenges identified in the 5th IPCC Assessment Report.

The EUMETSAT infosite for monitoring weather and climate from space is located at this direct infopage link

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In 2010, Qatar Shell Upstream International B.V. re-entered exploration in Qatar by focusing on the relatively deep conventional Pre-Khuff gas. In order to support Qatar Shell with the execution of onshore and offshore seismic programs, extensive use was made of satellite imagery to derived added values products such as shallow water bathymetry, seabed classification and onshore digital elevation models.

Mapping the 740 sq km offshore area using satellite derived bathymetry resoluted in significant time and cost savings, and mitigated HSSE risks. The satellite imagery products were revealed as a key technology in aiding the planning and preparation of the seismic surveys.


©Fotolia

Project Background

In 2010, Qatar Shell Upstream International B.V. (QSUI) re-entered exploration in Qatar by focusing on the relatively deep conventional Pre-Khuff gas. In order to support Qatar Shell with the execution of onshore and offshore seismic programs, extensive use was made of satellite imagery to derive added value products such as shallow water bathymetry, seabed classification and onshore digital elevation models (DEM).

Issues & Needs

Information about water depth and geomorphological properties is regularly required for offshore explorations, but is frequently not available for the area of interest;.hydrographical surveys to date cover only a fraction of coastal areas worldwide. Furthermore, the most up-to-date maps possible are required in rapidly changing environments such as the coastline around Qatar in order to reduce temporal uncertainties. However, LIDAR and echosounding surveys are cost-intensive, require extensive and long-term planning and permissions and have significant HSSE exposure. As is often the case, data from these methodologies are not available area wide or at the required resolution, for the location.

Figure 1: Satellite derived bathymetry shown with hillshade and pseudocolour coding. Blue = shallow water, Red = deeper water (acquisition year: 2010). © Qatar Shell Upstream International B.V and EOmap.

Solution

For this project, satellite derived bathymetry (SDB) and complementary seafloor products were generated for an area of 740 sqkm, at 4m horizontal resolution. The independent, physics-based process to generate bathymetry from satellite imagery resulted in an RMSQE error of 70cm and 50 cm, in comparison to the main reference dataset (LiDAR) and multi-beam survey of 2003, respectively. The results also displayed a good correspondence with known features such as trenches.

Figure 2: Hillshaded view of the Multi-beam echosounding survey data (left MBES, acquisition year: 2003) and overlapping subset of the satellite bathymetry data (middle, acquisition year 2010) and the colour coded difference values between the two datasets (right). Blue to red indicates -ve to +ve elevation change. Annotations indicate features of interest, such as the pipeline trench

Results & Perspectives

Mapping this 740 sq km area using SDB resulted in cost savings of over 1 M USD, when compared to traditional acquisition methods. The HSSE risks were significantly mitigated due to minimizing the use of traditional survey methodologies. In addition to this, SDB production time of only 2 weeks efficiently supported the project schedule. The satellite imagery products were revealed as a key technology in aiding the planning and preparation of the seismic surveys.

Related Info
The EOMAP technology is operational and standardized across a range of satellite sensors, typically offering horizontal spatial resolutions of between 2m and 30m. It is currently being implemented as an off-the-shelf product for various regions worldwide, which allows for very fast deliveries and cost savings for clients. Of course, as with the application described in this article, project-specific solutions are readily accommodated.

  • Reference:Siermann, J., Morgan, G., Heege, T., & Harvey, C. (2014, January 19). Satellite derived Bathymetry and Digital Elevation Models (DEM). International Petroleum Technology Conference. doi:10.2523/17346-MS, https://www.onepetro.org/conference-paper/IPTC-17346-MS
  • Key words: Oil and Gas, Offshore, Bathymetry, Seafloor, Environmental baseline Service provider: EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG / Germany/Singapore
  • User/ Customer: Qatar Shell Upstream International


©Fotolia

Aimed at all geologists who are not already remote sensing specialists, but particularly at students and geologists in the developing world.

The emphasis is on free and low-cost data, and on free or open-source software

Based on the author’s long experience of geological remote sensing in Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Australia, the book includes

  • principles of remote sensing
  • main archive and operational sensor systems
  • basics of image processing applied to geology
  • integration of remote sensing into geological mapping and mineral exploration
  • uses of remote sensing in environmental monitoring and reporting
  • remote sensing for production and exploration intelligence
  • sources of imagery and other data
  • numerous links to other publications and free sources of information

The book uses examples from Africa, the Middle East and Australia, and will be linked to online courses in geological remote sensing with sample data-sets.

The book is now published through Amazon (Kindle), Barnes and Noble (Nook) and Kobo, and will shortly appear in Google Books. The book can be read on most e-readers and on tablets using free apps.

More information at calegg.com

(14 January 2014) EOMAP, a value-added service provider of satellite data was contracted by the Mexican National Commission for Knowledge and Use of Biodiversity (CONABIO) to deliver high resolution environmental information for the entire Maya coast.

This coastline extends 600 km south from the Yucatan Peninsula to the border of Belize. In total more than 5000 sq km of the marine environment, including ecosystems such as corals, seagrass and mangroves, were mapped in water depths down to 25 m.

“The fine-scale spatial information, derived for the entire coastline, will serve as the first baseline dataset of the Maya coast, and will help to understand and preserve the vulnerable ecosystems.” Said Dr. Thomas Heege, CEO of EOMAP GmbH & Co.

CONABIO is a permanent interdepartmental commission promoting, coordinating and carrying out activities aimed to increase awareness of biodiversity and its conservation and sustainable use. To fulfill its mission CONABIO relies on accurate and fine scale baseline maps for land and sea. For Mexico’s extended coastlines, traditional surveys were by far too time consuming and expensive and CONABIO therefore decided to use a satellite-based approach. In early 2012, EOMAP’s technology was applied for bathymetry and seafloor mapping, using the highest spatial multi-spectral resolution satellite data available (DigitalGlobe’s WorldView-2 eight-band sensor).

“EOMAP was selected because we have seen their satellite-derived, high resolution seafloor and bathymetry products in very successful, previous projects. The services and products delivered for the Mexican Maya coast are exceptional and will be fundamental in developing our seafloor habitat baseline. Such a baseline is critical in assessing short and long term impacts to the environment from both man-made and natural causes.” Said Dr. Rainer Ressl, Director Geomatics Department of CONABIO.

The project was completed in three phases: satellite data was first ordered and checked for its mapping feasibility, then EOMAP delivered spatial datasets of bathymetry and seafloor properties, and finally the validated habitat classification was performed.

“Mapping the seafloor habitats and bathymetric information for such extended areas is of growing interest for both environmental as well as engineering applications. Our algorithms are operational and standardized, enabling us to survey, map and monitor extended or inaccessible areas at a fraction of the cost of traditional survey methods,” said Dr. Magnus Wettle, Chief Scientist of EOMAP Asia Pacific.

EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG has been delivering satellite-derived bathymetry and seafloor habitat services worldwide for a growing number of customers in the oil and gas, engineering, environmental and hydrographic sectors.

About EOMAP GmbH & Co. KG

EOMAP is a leading commercial provider in satellite-derived information on aquatic systems. Clients range from governmental agencies to industrial offshore companies, with a focus on the oil and gas sector. Core services include satellite derived bathymetry surveys, environmental baseline and impact monitoring (including seafloor habitat mapping), and operational water quality monitoring in inland waters through to oceanic scales. Compared to traditional methods, EOMAP solutions provide significant benefits in terms of cost, turnaround time, study area accessibility and spatial as well as temporal coverage.

(source: EOMAP)

(Winter 2013) The recently completed mid-term review of TIGER-NET marks a major milestone for the project, in which DHI GRAS and GeoVille Information Systems (Prime) – in collaboration with partners – successfully developed an Earth Observation (EO)-based Water Observation and Information System (WOIS).

This system was implemented in selected African water authorities, thereby ensuring continued EO support delivery for African Water Resource Management.

In spring 2012, the TIGER-NET project was launched as a major three-year component of the TIGER initiative of the European Space Agency (ESA). The main goal of the TIGER project is to support the African EO capacity for water resource monitoring. The aim of TIGER-NET specifically is to build capacity for water resources monitoring based on EO technologies at selected African water authorities. This is done through the development of an open source WOIS that integrates satellite information for the monitoring, assessment and inventory of water resources.

DHI GRAS has, in partnership with GeoVille Information Systems and the Technical Universities in Vienna (TU-WIEN) and Copenhagen (DTU-ENV), successfully developed the WOIS and implemented the system in six African water authorities:

  • Lake Chad Basin Commission
  • Nile Basin Initiative
  • Volta Basin Authority
  • Department of Water Affairs of Namibia
  • Department of Water Affairs of South Africa
  • Department of Water Affairs, Zambia

Moreover, the operational and practical use of the WOIS to support decision making has been demonstrated via a series of user-specific demonstration cases covering a wide range of themes and information products. These include:

  • lake water quality
  • flood monitoring
  • land degradation and land cover characterisation
  • water bodies and wetlands mapping
  • hydrological modelling
  • hydrological characterisation (soil moisture, precipitation and evapotranspiration)
  • soil erosion potential indicators
  • water supply and sanitation planning support

By providing this licence-free, powerful and extendable system, we look forward to the second cycle of TIGER-NET. In this phase, the user base will be expanded and the WOIS development and consolidation will continue. This will be done in order to accommodate the latest software developments and to provide adaptations for continued user requirements. It will also particularly focus on ensuring the support and development of processing capacity for the upcoming Sentinel satellite systems which will turn the WOIS into a fully operational monitoring system.

For more information on monitoring and managing Africa’s water resources with EO data, please visit ESA homepage as well as the project website

This solicitation seeks proposals focused on terrestrial benefit via Earth observations, atmospheric science, planetary science or remote sensing of space.

[SatNews] Remote sensing is a diverse and profitable field with top segments grossing into the billions.

The Center for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS), the nonprofit organization managing research aboard the International Space Station (ISS) U.S. National Laboratory, today re-issued a solicitation for proposals in the field of remote sensing.

CASIS aims to both increase utilization of existing ISS hardware and to promote use of the station as a testbed for developing and improving new instrumentation.

The National Lab provides a premier vantage point from which to conduct studies of Earth. Its specific location in low Earth orbit make this platform advantageous; it covers 90 percent of Earth’s population, and imagery captured from station has improved spatial resolution and variable lighting when compared with many traditional Earth observation platforms. The introduction of this improved platform has great implications for the field of remote sensing.

Remote sensing is a diverse and profitable field with top segments grossing into the billions. Major segments include weather forecasting, right-of-way investigations, intelligence gathering, public health and agriculture. Industry experts indicate that the space station is well suited for use in right-of-way inspections, urban planning and forestry remote sensing applications; but it is not limited to these categories. Through access to the National Lab, CASIS provides a unique and affordable opportunity to advance the field of remote sensing and address unmet needs in many segments.

“This solicitation will take advantage of the unique vantage point from the ISS to observe and investigate our planet,” said CASIS Director of Portfolio Management, Warren Bates. “It will also provide researchers yet another opportunity to access our nation’s only orbiting laboratory while further diversifying CASIS’s portfolio of research capable of enhancing life on Earth.”

On November 18, 2013 CASIS suspended its original request for proposals (RFP) on remote sensing.

For additional information about this RFP, including instructions and information regarding remote sensing research, CASIS and the ISS please visit
Letters of Intent must be submitted electronically by 5pm EST on February 21, 2014 via the CASIS solicitations website page.

Source

(13 January 2014) Like thermometers in the sky, satellite instruments can measure the temperatures of Earth’s surfaces. ESA’s new GlobTemperature project is merging these data from a variety of spaceborne sensors to provide scientists with a one-stop shop for land, lake and ice temperature data.

Information on land surface temperature is a key parameter for studying the Earth system. It plays an important role in physical processes such as atmospheric convection and surface evaporation, biological processes like vegetation sensitivity to stress and to fire, and chemical processes such as emissions of gases from the surface to the atmosphere.

Long-term trends in surface temperature can also be an indicator of climate change.

Meteorologists and climate scientists rely heavily on air temperature measurements made using thermometers installed at ground-based weather stations despite the availability of satellite-derived measurements. This is mainly due to the complexity of the data from different satellite instruments, utilising both infrared and microwave data, and the variety of formats in which the data are made available.

It is also difficult to convert the satellite measurements of the temperature of the solid land surface to the commonly used air temperature. An example of this is the difference in temperature between hot tarmac and cooler grass on a summer’s day even at the same air temperature.

In addition, satellite data suffer from gaps due to cloud cover or provide limited sampling of the day/night temperature cycle.

To fill these gaps and better meet users’ needs for land surface temperature data, ESA recently initiated the GlobTemperature project under the Data User Element Programme.

GlobTemperature will merge surface temperature data from a variety of satellites into a common format which will be made available in a single online archive.

The data will come from instruments including SEVIRI on Europe’s MSG mission, AVHRR and IASI on MetOp, as well as American and Japanese instruments and from the upcoming Sentinel-3 mission. Archived data from the (A)ATSR instruments flown on the ERS and Envisat missions will also be included.

The new, global datasets developed under GlobTemperature will provide a more complete representation of day and night temperatures, including estimates of clear-sky versus cloudy sky biases.

Source

Hotel Novotel Lisboa, Lisbon. 13-14th February 2014. A two-day event bringing together users and experts to raise awareness of the benefits of Copernicus data and information, and providing attendees with the opportunity to participate in hands-on training and knowledge exchange activities.


EVENT OBJECTIVES

  • Raise and enhance the awareness of Copernicus data and information to new and existing users.
  • Demonstrate and provide hands- on training on how to access and
    use Copernicus data and information.
  • Bring together domain experts, experienced, and new users of Copernicus data and information, to share insights about current developments and opportunities.

EVENT OUTLINE

DAY ONE, Thursday 13th February

  • Users presenting and sharing their experiences on the use and uptake of Copernicus data and information.
  • European key speakers providing an overview on the current status of the Copernicus programme and how it can provide benefits to European societies.
  • Networking and poster session illustrating the practical uses of Copernicus data and information across four thematic areas: Emergency, Land, Marine and Atmosphere.
  • Panel discussions exploring opportunities and challenges in the use of Copernicus data and information.

DAY TWO, Friday 14th February

  • Four parallel hands-on half-day training workshops demonstrating the practical use and application of Copernicus data and information across the following thematic areas:
    • Emergency Management:Applications addressed include natural disasters, man-made emergency situations, and humanitarian crises
    • Land Monitoring: Applications addressed include agricultural monitoring, water availability monitoring, soil erosion monitoring, forestry monitoring, soil sealing and land take
    • Atmosphere Monitoring: Applications addressed include air quality monitoring including ozone, UV & solar energy, emissions, and climate forcing
    • Marine Monitoring: Applications addressed include marine environment monitoring (sea surface temperature, salinity), support of the Marine Strategy Frame

Open forum and plenary discussion summarising the main conclusions from the event.
For more details and to register
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