APHORISM - Advanced procedures for volcanic and seismic monitoring

APhoRISM is a collaborative project under the theme FP7-SPACE-2013-1 of the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Commission. It proposes the development and testing of two new methods to combine different types of Earth Observation satellite data and ground data. The aim of APhoRISM is to demonstrate that an appropriate management and integration of satellite and ground data can provide new improved products useful for seismic and volcanic crisis management. In particular, the project is focused on two main products: one is related to the monitoring of volcanic crises (volcanic product) and the another one concerns seismic events (seismic product).

The volcanic product is generated using the Multi-platform volcanic Ash Cloud Estimation (MACE) method. This method exploits the complementarity between Geosynchronous Earth Orbit sensors, Low Earth Orbit satellite sensors and ground measurements to improve the ash detection and retrieval and to fully characterize the volcanic ash clouds from source to the atmosphere. The key idea consists in meaningfully improving (calibrating and integrating), in a novel manner, the volcanic ash retrievals at the space-time scale of typical geostationary observations using both the Low Earth Orbit satellite estimations and in-situ data. The typical ash thermal infrared retrieval is integrated by using a wider spectral range from visible to microwave and the ash detection is extended also in case of cloudy atmosphere or steam plumes.

The seismic product consists of a damage map addressing the detection, analysis and estimate of changes to buildings and infrastructures occurring during an earthquake in the epicentral regions. This damage map is obtained by integrating a priori information and change detection images. The a priori information is derived by applying processing techniques to pre-crisis interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar data to measure possible surface movements. This first product provides information on the stability of the terrain. An integration algorithm merges the a priori information, the detection of changes observed by Earth Observation sensors and ground shakemap from seismological data. The final product is a Likelihood Index Damage Map, which represents a map of group of buildings or single buildings and infrastructures that are likely collapsed or strongly damaged.

Brochure_Aphorism