Tag: Kathmandu

Airbus Releases Satellite Imagery of Nepal Earthquake

Following Nepal’s devastating magnitude 7.8 earthquake on Saturday, Airbus Defence and Space has acquired Pléiades satellites imagery to support the International Charter and Copernicus Emergency Management Service. The data acquired will assist in assessing the damage and help rescue organizations in the delivery of humanitarian aid.

The before and after Pléiades images over Kathmandu (full image can be downloaded here) show the devastation caused by the earthquake. The below “before” Pléiades image was acquired on Nov. 29, 2014, and the “after” Pléiades image was acquired on April 27, 2015, two days after the earthquake.

Kathmandu, viewed by Pléiades satellites, before and after the earthquake. (Image: Airbus Defence and Space)

The Airbus Pléiades 1A and Pléiades 1B satellites operate as a constellation in the same orbit, phased 180 degrees apart. The identical twin satellites deliver high-resolution optical data products and can revisit any point on the globe, according to Airbus.

UPDATE:

Esri has created a Nepal Earthquake Swipe Map, which allows users to compare the pre- and post-earthquake images from Airbus Defence & Space to explore damage around Nepal. This map includes several bookmarks to help users navigate around key points of interest and landmarks that were damaged or destroyed.

April 28, 2015
DigitalGlobe Offers Satellite Images of Nepal Earthquake

In response to the devastating 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck central Nepal on April 25, DigitalGlobe has made high-resolution satellite imagery of the affected areas freely available online to all groups involved in the response and recovery effort through the company’s FirstLook initiative.

This imagery can be accessed via http://services.digitalglobe.com.

Username: nepal
Password: forcrisis

The below before and after images show the destruction of the nine-storey Dharahara Tower, which was built in 1832 and was a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Dharahara Tower in Kathmandu, in a DigitalGlobe satellite image taken in October 2014. (Image credit: DigitalGlobe)

The Dharahara Tower is shown leveled following the earthquake (Image credit: DigitalGlobe).

Specifically, DigitalGlobe activated FirstLook, the subscription service that provides emergency management and humanitarian workers with fast, web-based access to pre- and post-event images of the impacted area. DigitalGlobe captured imagery of the area April 26 through heavy cloud cover with its WorldView-1, and WorldView-3 and GeoEye-1 satellites. WorldView-2 and WorldView-3 have been tasked to image the area again April 28. Pre-event imagery dating back to April 1 is also available to aid understanding and coordination for on-the-ground missions.

In addition, DigitalGlobe has activated Tomnod, the crowdsourcing platform that allows web-connected volunteers around the globe to help disaster response teams by mapping damage from this earthquake. While satellite imagery on its own is useful, greater benefit comes from extracting meaningful information that can be used by first responder and recovery agencies.

By visiting the Tomnod website, users can participate in the Nepal campaign by tagging damaged buildings, roads, and areas of major destruction to inform disaster response teams on the ground. Whether a person donates five minutes or five hours, anyone can analyze DigitalGlobe imagery to help make a difference.

April 27, 2015
Esri Hosts Info Map for Nepal Earthquake

A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck 77 kilometers (48 miles) northwest of Nepal’s capital Kathmandu at 0611 GMT on April 25, toppling office blocks and towers and killing thousands of people. More than two dozen people were also reported killed in neighboring India, China and Bangladesh.

As of April 27, the Government of Nepal reported 3,351 deaths and 6,833 injured people, according to ReliefWeb. These numbers are expected to increase further as search and rescue teams reach remote areas. Most of the deaths are recorded in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Lalitpur. Eight million people in 39 districts have been affected, of which over 2 million people live in the 11 severely affected districts.

The Esri disaster page is featuring news stories, video feeds, and other information about the earthquake in Nepal, on an Earthquake Public Information Map. Users can explore the locations and intensities of the various quakes that struck Nepal, along with a shakemap from the USGS. This map also includes geotagged social media from Twitter and YouTube with local content related to the quakes.

Another Esri map, Mapping the 2015 Nepal Earthquake, provides a closer look at Nepal’s history of seismic activity, and shows how people are impacted by earthquakes. This story map also includes information about relief operations and key points of interest in the region, as well as a 3D web scene of the area affected by the avalanche on Mt. Everest.

OpenStreetMap is also working to help with relief efforts. “Our goal is to contribute to humanitarian relief by rapidly providing a detailed and accurate map (i.e., road network, villages, buildings, etc.) to support the humanitarian organizations. These services help locate people at risk efficiently, and facilitate the delivery of goods and services to remote areas.”

The USGS provides an earthquake map here.

April 27, 2015