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Damage Proxy Map of the Beirut Explosion on 4Th of August 2020 As Observed from the Copernicus Sensors

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Damage Proxy Map of the Beirut Explosion on 4Th of August 2020 As Observed from the Copernicus Sensors sensors Communication Damage Proxy Map of the Beirut Explosion on 4th of August 2020 as Observed from the Copernicus Sensors Athos Agapiou 1,2 1 Department of Civil Engineering and Geomatics, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Cyprus University of Technology, Saripolou 2-8, Limassol 3036, Cyprus; [email protected] 2 Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence, Saripolou 2-8, Limassol 3036, Cyprus Received: 15 September 2020; Accepted: 7 November 2020; Published: 9 November 2020 Abstract: On the 4th of August 2020, a massive explosion occurred in the harbor area of Beirut, Lebanon, killing more than 100 people and damaging numerous buildings in its proximity. The current article aims to showcase how open access and freely distributed satellite data, such as those of the Copernicus radar and optical sensors, can deliver a damage proxy map of this devastating event. Sentinel-1 radar images acquired just prior (the 24th of July 2020) and after the event (5th of August 2020) were processed and analyzed, indicating areas with significant changes of the VV (vertical transmit, vertical receive) and VH (vertical transmit, horizontal receive) backscattering signal. In addition, an Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) analysis was performed for both descending (31st of July 2020 and 6th of August 2020) and ascending (29th of July 2020 and 10th of August 2020) orbits of Sentinel-1 images, indicating relative small ground displacements in the area near the harbor. Moreover, low coherence for these images is mapped around the blast zone. The current study uses the Hybrid Pluggable Processing Pipeline (HyP3) cloud-based system provided by the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF) for the processing of the radar datasets. In addition, medium-resolution Sentinel-2 optical data were used to support thorough visual inspection and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) the damage in the area. While the overall findings are well aligned with other official reports found on the World Wide Web, which were mainly delivered by international space agencies, those reports were generated after the processing of either optical or radar datasets. In contrast, the current communication showcases how both optical and radar satellite data can be parallel used to map other devastating events. The use of open access and freely distributed Sentinel mission data was found very promising for delivering damage proxies maps after devastating events worldwide. Keywords: Copernicus; Sentinel-1; Sentinel-2; InSAR; change detection; damage proxy map; Beirut; Lebanon; explosion 1. Introduction In emerging situations such as industrial and technological accidences, earth observation sensors can provide near-real-time information to local stakeholders and international organizations. This has been already demonstrated in the past in several examples such as the case study of the blast at Cyprus Naval Base (11th of July 2011, at Mari area, Cyprus), at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster (11th of March 2011, Okuma,¯ Japan), etc. High-resolution satellite sensors are mainly used for rapid mapping and recording of the damage over large extents. However, the use of freely distributed sensors such as those of the Copernicus Programme did not thoroughly investigate in the past. This is in contrast with their wide use in monitoring other hazards all over the world, which has been demonstrated in several articles [1–4]. This communication article aims to investigate whether the use of these sensors, namely the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2, can provide reliable information, in case of emerging situations. Sensors 2020, 20, 6382; doi:10.3390/s20216382 www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors Sensors 2020, 20, x 2 of 22 Sensors 2020, 20, 6382 2 of 21 investigate whether the use of these sensors, namely the Sentinel‐1 and Sentinel‐2, can provide reliable information, in case of emerging situations. For this reason, a recent catastrophic event was Forexamined this reason, in Lebanon, a recent aiming catastrophic to produce event Damage was examined Proxy Maps in Lebanon, (DPM) over aiming the area. to produce Damage ProxyThe Maps event (DPM) took overplace the in the area. evening of the 4th of August 2020 in the area near the main harbor of Beirut,The the event capital took of place Lebanon. in the According evening of theto the 4th media, of August a fire 2020 near in thethe areaport near ignited the maina large harbor nearby of Beirut,store of the ammonium capital of Lebanon. nitrate, which According is a highly to the media,explosive a fire chemical near the often port ignitedused in a fertilizer. large nearby More store than of ammonium100 people died, nitrate, while which more is a than highly 5000 explosive were wounded. chemical oftenIt was used estimated in fertilizer. that at More least than 300,000 100 people died,were left while homeless more than from 5000 this were event, wounded. while the It destruction was estimated was thatestimated at least to 300,000 cost between people 10 were and left 15 homelessbillion USA from dollars this event,[5]. The while Beirut the explosion destruction generated was estimated seismic to waves cost between equivalent 10 andto a 15magnitude billion USA 3.3 dollarsearthquake, [5]. The according Beirut explosionto the United generated States seismicGeological waves Survey equivalent (USGS) to Earthquake a magnitude Hazard 3.3 earthquake, Program according[6]. to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Earthquake Hazard Program [6]. From the early beginning, several agencies have tried to support ground rescue investigations. Examples of this eeffortffort are byby thethe CenterCenter forfor SatelliteSatellite BasedBased CrisisCrisis InformationInformation (ZKI) of the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) [[7]7] thatthat usedused high-resolutionhigh‐resolution WorldView-2WorldView‐2 multispectralmultispectral imagesimages acquired just a day afterafter thethe event.event. The Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team at NASA’s Jet Propulsion LaboratoryLaboratory and and California California Institute Institute of Technology of Technology in Pasadena, in California,Pasadena, inCalifornia, collaboration in withcollaboration the Earth with Observatory the Earth of Observatory Singapore (EOS), of Singapore have also (EOS), processed have Sentinel-1 also processed radar images Sentinel indicating‐1 radar areasimages that indicating are likely areas damaged that are caused likely by damaged the explosion caused in by Lebanon the explosion [8]. in Lebanon [8]. Figure1 1 shows shows high-resolution high‐resolution red-green-bluered‐green‐blue (RGB)(RGB) WorldView-2WorldView‐2 images images over over the the area area of of the the harbor (Figure 11,, top)top) andand thethe broaderbroader areaarea of of the the explosion explosion (Figure(Figure1 ,1, bottom) bottom) before before (Figure (Figure1a,c) 1a,c) and after (Figure1 1b,d)theb,d) the event.event. These images were releasedreleased somesome hourshours afterafter thethe explosionexplosion byby the the European Space Imaging [[9],9], thusthus allowingallowing visualizationvisualization ofof thethe destruction.destruction. (a) (b) (c) (d) Figure 1. Top: (a) WorldView-2WorldView‐2 high-resolutionhigh‐resolution optical image over the Beirut harbor area before thethe explosion and (b) afterafter thethe event.event. Bottom: ( (cc)) WorldView WorldView-2‐2 high-resolutionhigh‐resolution optical image over the broader area of the Beirut harbor before the explosionexplosion and (d)) afterafter thethe eventevent (copyrights(copyrights European Space Imaging [[9]).9]). Sensors 2020, 20, x 3 of 22 Sensors 2020, 20, 6382 3 of 21 While the above‐mentioned results are very important for local stakeholders as they provide damageWhile proxy the above-mentionedmaps in a short resultstime, the are detection very important of damaged for local areas stakeholders is usually as based they provideon the processingdamage proxy on mapseither in optical a short or time, radar the detectionproducts. of In damaged this paper, areas we is usuallyaim to basedinvestigate on the the processing Beirut explosionon either opticalthat took or radar place products. on 4th Inof thisAugust paper, 2020 we aimby tousing investigate in parallel the Beirutboth explosionoptical and that radar took Copernicusplace on 4th Sentinel of August data. 2020 The by detection using in of parallel damage both areas optical in different and radar wavelengths Copernicus of the Sentinel spectrum data. canThe further detection strengthen of damage the areasfinal damage in different proxy wavelengths maps. of the spectrum can further strengthen the finalThe damage paper proxy is organized maps. as follow: initially, the methodology and the data used are presented, whileThe the paper results is from organized the change as follow: detection initially, and the InSAR methodology analysis andfrom the the data Sentinel used‐1 are datasets presented, are shown.while the These results results from the are change also detection compared and with InSAR optical analysis Sentinel from the‐2 Sentinel-1images as datasets well areas shown.other published—inThese results are the also media—high compared‐resolution with optical results. Sentinel-2 Finally, images a general as well discussion as other for published—in the potential the of spacemedia—high-resolution‐based applications for results. monitoring Finally, areas a generalunder threat discussion is presented. for the potential of space-based applications for monitoring areas under threat is presented. 2. Study Area 2.
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