TRACKS

Disasters, Hazards, and Emergency Response Track

(From Response to Mitigation)

Remote sensing systems have proven to be invaluable sources of information that enable the disaster response community to make critical initial assessments of the nature and magnitude of damage and destruction. High-resolution remote sensing data is especially useful for documenting certain hazards, for determining where to stage response facilities and supplies, and for planning related to reconstruction and relocation activities. Data availability and its timely delivery are crucial to saving lives and property during disasters, and technological developments are making positive contributions in this area. Some of the most significant progress in disaster reduction is being made in mitigation using historical and contemporary remote sensing data in combination with other geospatial data sets as input to predictive models and early warning systems. This track will address new remote sensing developments supporting disaster mitigation and response, and focus on such key issues as data access, timeliness, appropriateness, data sharing, training, transnational cooperation, and the role of the private sector.

Proposed Session Topics

• Remote Sensing Data and Tools for Disaster Mitigation and Response
  Possible topics: new remote sensing systems, preventative measures, predictive and early warning models, integrated instrumentation for early warning, portable field reception systems
• Making Data Available for Disaster Response
  Possible topics: internet map (data) servers, seamless data sets, pre-staged data, rapid data sharing, networked data centers, GDIN, PDC, ADC, CINDI, NSDI
• Disaster Response at International Scales - Recent Examples
  Possible topics: UN-led, bilateral support (OFDA), Hurricane Mitch Response and Recovery, Mekong Flooding, Indian Earthquake, etc.
• Remote Sensing Response Capabilities at the National Level
  Potential Countries: China/Brazil, Israel, India, France, Japan, US, Russia
• The Role of Private Industry in Disaster Response
  Possible topics: proactive speculative tasking, tasking priorities policy, pricing policies, rapid response capabilities, data sharing policies, derivative products
• Remote Sensing Requirements for Specific Types of Disasters
  Possible topics: wildfires, landslides, storm surges and flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes and typhoons

Environmental Track

Imagery and remote sensing of the Earth's surface provide insights into environmental conditions and support environmental policy, research, and managerial decisions from global to local scales. Given the natural and anthropogenic forces that affect Earth's landscapes and the range of regulatory requirements, managers and policy makers are drawing on advanced technological methods, including imagery, to monitor conditions and comply with environmental laws. This track will address sensors, research, operational applications, and management issues associated with imagery and environmental topics. In line with the conference, the sessions will focus more on satellite-based sources than on airborne sources. The overall purpose of the track and its five sessions is to provide information on progress using imagery in environmental management (government and business) as well as in global-scale monitoring. The sessions will present analytic and characterization techniques, developments in environmental applications, and opportunities to market imagery and services in the environmental arena.

Proposed Session Topics

• Global Ecosystem Analysis
  Possible topics: Global scale land-use/land-cover change; Glacier monitoring; Habitat and ecosystem dynamics; Species migration; Carbon sinks; Population monitoring
• Sensors and Tools for Environmental Industry
  Possible topics: Hyperspectral sensors; RADAR, LIDAR, IFSAR; Thermal sensors; Soil moisture sensors; Automated change detection; Calibration test sites; Environmental visualization techniques
• Environmental Management & Operations
  Possible topics: Risk management; Compliance and enforcement; Environmental impact statements (EIS; Environmental management systems; Decision support systems; Site Characterization; Imagery in environmental cost-benefit analyses
• Water Resources: Remote Sensing in Operations
  Possible topics: Stormwater management; TMDLs; Impervious surfaces; Mine waste run-off; Water quality; Western water management
• Environmental Change Detection & Planning
  Possible topics: Site characterization; Automated change detection; Risk assessment; Land-use growth projection; Urbanization; Sampling designs and accuracy assessment; Smart growth practices; Land planning & alternatives analysis
• Transportation Issues
  Possible topics: Planning process; Transportation data layers; Watershed planning; Cultural resources; Habitat Connectivity; EIS; Stormwater management

Law & Policy Track - Integrating Remote Sensing Policy, Law and Practice Track

Space-based remote sensing supports economic, environmental, and security goals at global, regional, and national scales. Geo-spatial information derived from land satellites is critical for our understanding of global/trans boundary issues. Some contend that on balance global and regional stability are strengthened through the increased transparency of increasing international availability of land satellite information. These satellite programs can provide sources of data and products that improve the ability of national governments to meet critical military and civilian mission requirements. Also, emerging commercial programs can further fuel the information economy with exciting new data sources and applications, and provide economic opportunities. This track will explore how policy and decision-makers can ensure that the appropriate policies are in place to foster robust remote sensing programs that serve as important tools for achieving important civilian, commercial, foreign policy, and national security goals.

Proposed Session Topics

• Foreign Policy and Remote Sensing: Tool for Diplomacy
  Possible topics: implementing environmental treaties and protocols, transparency and regional conflicts, tools for international development and foreign assistance
• Security in Focus
  Possible topics: treaty verification, information superiority, imagery sharing in alliances, military?civil cooperation
• Issues in Civil Remote Sensing Programs
  Possible topics: pricing and dissemination policy, remote sensing data as a public good, international cooperation, public?private partnerships, data and technology standards
• Emerging Commercial Sector: Challenge and Promise
  Possible topics: market challenges, from data to information, financing, government competition, regulatory environment, USG data buys
• Integrating Remote Sensing Policy across Sectors
  Possible topics: national?level remote sensing policy development, international/multilateral coordination, legislative branch focus on remote?sensing, global monitoring for environment and security

Natural Resources Track

(including Agriculture and Forestry)

Global monitoring of natural resources, which include forestry, agriculture, and energy resources depend on robust and systematic space/airborne imaging systems. Most of the Earth's natural resources are becoming more scarce, thus requiring more diligence to manage our existing resources and explore for new resources. Satellite imagery and the resulting geospatial information are critical factors for resource managers and scientists to analyze and compare the Earth's resources in space and time. Emerging processing technologies that integrate different types and scales of data enable a hierarchical exchange of data, which is expanding our knowledge of how local changes affect regional, national, and global environments. This track will provide an overview of key programs, successes, and challenges to monitoring and managing our natural resources.

Proposed Session Topics

• Sensor Specifications for the Agriculture Industry
  Possible topics: spectral characteristics of agriculture, radar: beating the clouds, future trends in airborne designs, calibration on the fly
• Energy Exploration and Management
  Possible topics: geologic mapping using remote sensors, fracture mapping, spectral mineralogy, heat island detection and quantification
• Water/Hydrologic Processes
  Possible topics: watershed management, measuring soil moisture from remote sensors, snow cover measurements
• Agriculture: Food Security and Global Monitoring
  Possible topics: famine warning, food aid: feeding the hungry without ruining the farm economy, regional production/yield estimation, temporal resolution: how important is it?
• Forestry: Fighting Fires to Managing Timber
  Possible topics: forest inventory mapping, fighting forest fires with remote sensors, preventing forest fires with remote sensors, deforestation monitoring, forest fire rehabilitation

Transportation Track Overview

Transportation organizations at all levels face unprecedented challenges to preserve the existing transportation system and take on new missions. Aerial and satellite remote sensing are technologies that hold promise of great value for transportation. The U.S. Department of Transportation has initiated a major research program on transportation related applications. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) has held two conferences on Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Technologies for Transportation. This track represents the third event in this series and will highlight successful remote sensing projects that serve to enhance the business practices of transportation organizations. The full scope of transportation activities from planning, design, construction, management and operations are addressed, as are all modes. Strategies to improve implementation, use and management of remote sensing in transportation are examined. All application papers are organized into four topical poster sessions: Traffic Flows, Expediting Environmental Assessment, Lifeline Vulnerability and Incident Response, and Infrastructure Management and Protection. The breakout sessions on those topics involve a synthesis of research presented and a collective evaluation of additional efforts needed in order for remote sensing to reach its potential in transportation.

Proposed Session Topics

• Overview of uses of remote sensing in transportation: talks designed to summarize the state of the use of RS in transportation
  Possible topics: environmental analysis, disasters/hazards/safety, passenger and freight flow, infrastructure, modal applications, international applications, operational uses
• Transportation Operations
  Possible topics: Risk management; Facility management; Emergency response; Compliance and enforcement; Environmental impact statements (EIS); Decision support systems; Site Characterization; Imagery in transportation cost-benefit analyses; Intelligent transportation systems
• Freight and Rail Management
  Possible topics: tracking freight mobility
• Modal Applications
  Possible topics: Airports; transit planning; multi-modal planning; interstate rail.
• International transportation Issues
  Possible topics: state of the science in other countries; partnership projects
• Information Integration
  Possible topics: Decision support systems; integration of ground and aerial data; user interfaces

ISPRS Track Commission I

Track Objectives

The technical program for the ISPRS Commission I Midterm Symposium will consist of sessions, workshops, and tutorials focusing on its Working Group subjects. These include: defining sensor parameters; sensor calibration and validation; active sensor systems; advanced sensor systems; platform and sensor integration; and airborne optical sensor systems. Where appropriate, these subjects also will be integrated with the Pecora/ Land Satellite tracks. These integrated sessions will extend the topics of Commission I into the Pecora Symposium by providing technical background on sensors and platforms.

ISPRS Technical Commission I Topics

A. Defining Sensor Parameters
• Direct Georegistration
• International Satellite Systems
• International Space Policy
B. Sensor Calibration and Validation
• In-flight Calibration of Space-borne Imaging Sensors
  • Radiometric and geometric calibration of space sensors (onboard calibration, test field calibration, etc.)
  • In-flight and pre-flight calibration
  • Long-term geometric and radiometric behavior
  • Wide-swath and multi-viewing angle sensors
• Ground Based Calibration Processes
• Instrumentation for calibrating airborne and spaceborne imaging sensors (VNIR, SWIR,LWIR)
C. Active Sensor Systems
• LIDAR Systems and Performance
D. Advanced Sensor Systems
• Inexpensive SAR, VIS, IR, and Hyperspectral sensor systems
E. Platform and Sensor Integration
• Sensor Integration
• Geometric capabilities of High Resolution Earth Observing Systems
F. Airborne Optical Sensor Systems
• Large Format Digital Camera Technology
• Sensor needs for Transportation
• Multi camera/multi spectral
• Small Format Metric
• Commercial Small Format
• Unmanned UAV Sensor Systems
• Airborne Hyperspectral