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Brenda Jones

Publications and source records attributed to Brenda Jones.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Global trends in satellite-based emergency mapping

Over the past 15 years, scientists and disaster responders have increasingly used satellite-based Earth observations for global rapid assessment of disaster situations. We review global trends in satellite rapid response and emergency mapping from 2000 to 2014, analyzing more than 1000 incidents in which satellite monitoring was used for assessing major disaster situations. We provide a synthesis of spatial patterns and temporal trends in global satellite emergency mapping efforts and show that satellite-based emergency mapping is most intensively deployed in Asia and Europe and follows well the geographic, physical, and temporal distributions of global natural disasters. We present an outlook on the future use of Earth observation technology for disaster response and mitigation by putting past and current developments into context and perspective.

Science

Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS)

When emergencies occur, first responders and disaster response teams often need rapid access to aerial photography and satellite imagery that is acquired before and after the event. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS) provides quick and easy access to pre- and post-event imagery and geospatial datasets that support emergency response and recovery operations. The HDDS provides a single, consolidated point-of-entry and distribution system for USGS-hosted remotely sensed imagery and other geospatial datasets related to an event response. The data delivery services are provided through an interactive map-based interface that allows emergency response personnel to rapidly select and download pre-event ("baseline") and post-event emergency response imagery.

Fact Sheet

Key recovery factors for the August 24, 2014, South Napa Earthquake

Through discussions between the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) following the South Napa earthquake, it was determined that several key decision points would be faced by FEMA for which additional information should be sought and provided by USGS and its partners. This report addresses the four tasks that were agreed to. These tasks are (1) assessment of ongoing fault movement (called afterslip) especially in the Browns Valley residential neighborhood, (2) assessment of the shaking pattern in the downtown area of the City of Napa, (3) improvement of information on the fault hazards posed by the West Napa Fault System (record of past earthquakes and slip rate, for example), and (4) imagery acquisition and data processing to provide overall geospatial information support to FEMA.

California

USGS remote sensing coordination for the 2010 Haiti earthquake

In response to the devastating 12 January 2010, earthquake in Haiti, the US Geological Survey (USGS) provided essential coordinating services for remote sensing activities. Communication was rapidly established between the widely distributed response teams and data providers to define imaging requirements and sensor tasking opportunities. Data acquired from a variety of sources were received and archived by the USGS, and these products were subsequently distributed using the Hazards Data Distribution System (HDDS) and other mechanisms. Within six weeks after the earthquake, over 600,000 files representing 54 terabytes of data were provided to the response community. The USGS directly supported a wide variety of groups in their use of these data to characterize post-earthquake conditions and to make comparisons with pre-event imagery. The rapid and continuing response achieved was enabled by existing imaging and ground systems, and skilled personnel adept in all aspects of satellite data acquisition, processing, distribution and analysis. The information derived from image interpretation assisted senior planners and on-site teams to direct assistance where it was most needed.

Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing

The international charter for space and major disasters--project manager training

Regional Project Managers for the Charter are developed through training courses, which typically last between 3 and 5 days and are held in a central location for participants. These courses have resulted in increased activations and broader use of Charter data and information by local emergency management authorities. Project Managers are nominated according to either their regional affiliation or their specific areas of expertise. A normal activation takes 2 to 3 weeks to complete, with all related expenses the responsibility of the PM's home agency.

General Information Product

Archiving, processing, and disseminating ASTER products at the USGS EROS Data Center

The U.S. Geological Survey EROS Data Center archives, processes, and disseminates Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data products. The ASTER instrument is one of five sensors onboard the Earth Observing System's Terra satellite launched December 18, 1999. ASTER collects broad spectral coverage with high spatial resolution at near infrared, shortwave infrared, and thermal infrared wavelengths with ground resolutions of 15, 30, and 90 meters, respectively. The ASTER data are used in many ways to understand local and regional earth-surface processes. Applications include land-surface climatology, volcanology, hazards monitoring, geology, agronomy, land cover change, and hydrology. The ASTER data are available for purchase from the ASTER Ground Data System in Japan and from the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center in the United States, which receives level 1A and level 1B data from Japan on a routine basis. These products are archived and made available to the public within 48 hours of receipt. The level 1A and level 1B data are used to generate higher level products that include routine and on-demand decorrelation stretch, brightness temperature at the sensor, emissivity, surface reflectance, surface kinetic temperature, surface radiance, polar surface and cloud classification, and digital elevation models. This paper describes the processes and procedures used to archive, process, and disseminate standard and on-demand higher level ASTER products at the Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center.

Conference Paper

Landsat 7 processing on the EROS Data Center's National Land Archive Processing System (NLAPS)

Staff at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC) process Landsat 7 data for customer distribution on two distinct systems. The Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC) processing is done on the Level -1 Product Generation System (LPGS), and the USGS processing is completed on the National Land Archive Processing System (NLAPS). The NLAPS is capable of processing data from Landsat 1-5 and 7 and SPOT 1-3. The data can be processed with correction levels ranging from Level-0 raw data to terrain-corrected precision products in a variety of output formats. The NLAPS processing system requires that different ordering procedures be used for standard recipe versus special order processing, and it makes available many processing and framing options. The NLAPS draws on a ground control point library whose sources range from paper maps to textual descriptions and registered source imagery, such as digital orthophoto quadrangles. The accuracy of the final products will vary depending on the level of correction applied and the source of the ground control points used for the precision corrections. An accuracy assessment of the LPGS systematic product versus the NLAPS systematic product demonstrates that both systems provide the same geometric and radiometric accuracy in systematically corrected products.

Conference Paper