Evaluation of Building Damage and Tsunami Inundation Based on Satellite Images and GIS Data following the 2010 Chile Earthquake

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a field survey conducted by the authors after the 2010 Chile earthquake. The authors visited the affected area about a month after the earthquake. The usefulness of satellite images captured after the earthquake to detect damaged buildings in Concepción is discussed, compared with the field photos taken by the authors. GIS datasets for the damage levels of buildings in Talca and the tsunami-inundated areas in Talcahuano, Dichato, and Constitución are constructed in this study. The GIS dataset for the damage levels of buildings in Talca is compared with the satellite images, and the possibility of detecting damage to adobe houses is investigated. Further, a series of fundamental analyses are performed using a digital elevation model (DEM) that is constructed from ASTER images (ERSDAC 2009), and the usefulness of the DEM is evaluated comparing with the field survey results.