
Harnessing the Satellite Boom
August 17, 2016
Every year, more and more satellites are launched into the Earth’s orbit, and improvements in sensor resolutions and computing capabilities have resulted in an abundance of high quality satellite data. In the past, such data was often treated as a scarce commodity - rarely shared and usually with a large price tag. In the last few years however, data sources have expanded tremendously. Technological developments and political lobbying are creating a culture of shared and increasingly open information, and this benefits both public agencies and private industry. Countries all over the world are seeing government agencies provide their data freely via open source initiatives.A good example of this where satellites are concerned, is the Copernicus program. Copernicus is operated by the European Commission, in partnership with the European Space Agency. It is currently the largest Earth observation programme and is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the Earth. And all of the data collected by different clusters of satellites are available via open access. Companies involved in insurance and disaster risk assessment are rightly taking advantage of this rich data source, and harnessing this information to significantly improve the scope of their data analyses. Quality Control Among the varied risks we look at, flooding is probably one of the most challenging perils to model. Due to these advancements in data collection and imaging, flood modelling has improved immensely in recent years. Flood models rely on a wide range of variables, many of which are derived from satellite imagery. Elevation, precipitations, moisture levels in the soil and the detection of flood prone areas are just some of the things we look at. In the past, these models relied on fairly coarse resolutions from satellite data, generally captured at about 90 meters. Now however, data is captured at 30m resolutions at least – 9x better than it was a few years ago! These developments have led to more catastrophe models being released, with higher levels of accuracy and at increasingly affordable prices. A Need for SpeedNowadays, there are satellites capable of monitoring fires, precipitation levels and ground motion from earthquakes almost live, up to a resolution of 30cm. The deployment of interferometers (devices that measure small displacements and surface irregularities by comparing different wave signals, usually light or radio waves) and image reclassification techniques allows insurers to map natural and man-made catastrophes as they unfold over time.- About The Author
- Giacomo Favaron
- GIS Data Officer – International Property, AXA XL
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