Remote Sensing, natural hazards and the contribution of ESA Sentinels missions

Abstract

Natural hazards are phenomena with a large spatial dimension and impact. Their mapping and monitoring can be recorded only by using satellite remote image platforms. The range of the natural hazards and the way the latter affect the natural and manmade environments make the selection of the appropriate data types and analyses a challenging mission. Therefore, it is important that we understand the effects of each phenomenon as well as the potential relations between them, both in the temporal and spatial dimension. Furthermore, we take into account the availability and cost of the data in order to proceed to the selection of the appropriate data type and analysis as well as the potential of ESA's Sentinel missions. All in all, this paper aims at examining the recent technological developments ever since the advent of Remote Sensing via a variety of platforms and the latter's application for a better planning and confrontation of the natural hazards. Those which are of global interest and which occur more frequently during the last decades as a result of climate change are wild fires, flash floods in the urban and rural environments, landslides, tsunamis and soil erosion. Last but not least, the occurrence of volcanic activity, especially those in close proximity to urban areas, and heatwaves in the urban environment, are also mentioned.