Earth Watching: A Window on Special Events

S. D'Elia & R. Biasutti

Earth Watching is a joint Eurimage - ESA/ESRIN project. Its primary aim is to demonstrate the benefits of satellite remote sensing technology in emergencies: prediction, assistance or analysis. More generally, its objective is to widen awareness of the potential of remote sensing applications and to promote the use of remote sensing data. It is based on fast and preferential access to sensor planning, image generation and product distribution, and can count on dedicated, even if limited, image processing and interpretation resources. The resulting planning information, images, maps, references, text, etc. are loaded on dedicated Internet pages and can be provided in hardcopy for distribution through newspapers, magazines and television stations. This type of information has made it possible to support activities such as monitoring of threatened or ongoing floods, intervention during disasters, monitoring of pollutants in open waters, detection of ships, detection of fires, and also non-emergency, public-interest applications such as locating archaeological sites.