ESA Images Japanese Disaster, Creates Emergency Maps

Soon after the March 11 earthquake struck Japan, the country activated a provision in an international charter, that allowed several space agencies, including the European one (ESA) to provide satellite images to emergency responders.

The International Charter 'Space and Major Disasters' is triggered only at the request of the state or states being affected by a natural disaster. It was also activated last year, during the oil spill that severely affected the Gulf of Mexico.

As a result of this activation, satellites belonging to agencies such as ESA and NASA are being used to map the extent of the damage caused by the 9.0-magnitude tremor and subsequent tsunamis.

These products will help emergency responders from Japan and elsewhere coordinate their efforts, and make integrated decisions that could save many lives. Thousands of people are now declared missing in northeastern Japan, the area most affected by the earthquake.

The Cabinet Office of Japan triggered the Charter the exact day the natural disasters struck. The international instrument was founded about a decade ago. It states that authorities and aid workers in a disaster-stricken nation should have timely access to satellite data to aid them in their efforts.

Using this mechanism, the Japanese government can put together a wide variety of maps collected by tens of satellites, helping them get near-real time updates on the situation from numerous perspectives.

One of the most important uses for the new maps is figuring out how the Japanese shorelines shifted as a result of the tremor. In some places, the coast moved as much as 4 meters (13 feet) to the east.

Before-and-after satellite images are used to determine where the earthquake and tsunamis struck hardest. By comparing the two, experts can figure out which cities were most affected.

Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) are coordinating the international effort, which makes use of German, French, Great Britain, ESA and UN satellites, in addition to other spacecraft.

In this manner, Japan got over 63 acquisition images of the affected area in just 48 hours, allowing authorities to direct the emergency response more efficiently than otherwise possible.

European data were combined with high-resolution optical imagery from NASA satellites to provide an integrated view on the disaster. This level of support will continue for months, as the country starts to rebuild itself, and repair the damage it sustained.