Researchers at Curtin University have revealed how radar satellites can improve the ability to detect, monitor, prepare for, and withstand natural disasters in Australia.
The researchers used Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data obtained by the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-1 satellite.
Lead researcher, Amy Parker from Curtin’s School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, said the Sentinel-1 satellite mission provided the first complete global SAR dataset.
“It was the first opportunity to use this type of data to assess hazards in new locations, including Australia,” Dr Parker said.
“What makes SAR so valuable is that it provides all-weather and night-and-day capability to remotely monitor the Earth’s surface, unlike traditional optical Earth Observation imagery which is at the mercy of cloud, fog, rainfall and smoke.”
She said SAR data could be used to precisely map topography, track movements of the ground surface, characterise land-use change, and map damage to infrastructure.
“All of this can significantly improve how we track and respond to natural disasters,” Dr Parker said.
“However, despite SAR satellites being well-documented as a hazard-monitoring tool, the uptake of such data varies, and in Australia the use of SAR data has been limited.”
She said the research applied SAR data to nine case studies covering critical issues such as bushfires, floods and earthquakes to assess the power of SAR as a disaster mitigation and prevention tool.
Dr Parker said the benefits could also be applied to maintaining mine site safety and better understanding of seismic hazards and activity.
“Previously, SAR data had been considered too expensive to use as a tool for hazard mitigation, but our findings show, through Sentinel-1, we now have economically viable, wall-to-wall, consistent sensor imaging of Australia,” the scientist said.
