Streamlining Post-Earthquake Data Collection and Damage Assessment for the 2003 Bam,Iran,Earthquake using VIEWS™ (Visualizing Impacts of Earthquakes with Satellites)

Abstract

Advanced technologies, such as remote sensing, have considerable potential for increasing the effectiveness of post-disaster reconnaissance. In the aftermath of the Bam earthquake, the EERI field team deployed the VIEWS™ (Visualizing Impacts of Earthquakes With Satellites) reconnaissance system to support urban damage assessment activities. This paper introduces the VIEWS™ system and describes its inaugural implementation for earthquake response. For the Bam deployment, VIEWS™ integrated city-wide base layers of 60 cm color QuickBird satellite imagery collected “before” and “after” the event, with a real-time GPS (Global Positioning System) feed. The satellite imagery helped direct team members to the hardest hit areas, and real-time tracking supported efficient route planning, progress monitoring, and the capture of geo-referenced digital photographs. Through the VIEWS™ visualization mode, researchers are able to replay and analyze the datasets that were collected. The VIEWS™ system was developed by ImageCat, Inc. in collaboration with the Multidisciplinary Center for Earthquake Engineering Research (MCEER).