The New ImageDB Server - Direct Access to Selected ERS SAR Data Products

S. D'Elia, G. Araco

To support the prevention, management, analysis or mitigation of natural hazards, users need rapid access to the latest remote-sensing data for the area concerned. ESA's internal Earth Watching project has also shown the strategic value of access to historical data for 'change detection' in such critical situations. A novel system has therefore been set-up at ESRIN, for both internal and external use, to support activities requiring the fast availability of archived remotely sensed data. The new ImageDB server provides instantaneous on-line access both to specific collections of quick-looks and full images.

The project was started at the end of 1998, in cooperation with the company Web Bridges (I) for the server design and development. The implementation proceeded in steps, with releases of intermediate functions as soon as available. The first release was opened on-line in May 1999, providing access, through DESCW*-supported inventory searches and quick-look downloads, to 100 geocoded (GEC) products over the major European rivers, generated from data acquired by ERS-2 during the period July- September 1998.