Knowing the location and type of sea ice is essential for safe navigation and route optimization ... more Knowing the location and type of sea ice is essential for safe navigation and route optimization in ice-covered areas. In this study, we developed a deep neural network (DNN) for pixel-based ice Stage of Development classification for the Baltic Sea using Landsat-8 optical satellite imagery to provide up-to-date ice information for Near-Real-Time maritime applications. In order to train the network, we labeled the ice regions shown in the Landsat-8 imagery with classes from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) ice charts. These charts are routinely produced and distributed by the BSH Sea Ice Department. The compiled data set for the Baltic Sea region consists of 164 ice charts from 2014 to 2021 and contains ice types classified by the Stage of Development. Landsat-8 level 1 (L1b) images that could be overlaid with the available BSH ice charts based on the time of acquisition were downloaded from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) global archive and index...
Applications for near real time object detection, based on remote sensing satellite image data, w... more Applications for near real time object detection, based on remote sensing satellite image data, were developed and implemented as one of the first value adding services for Maritime Situation Awareness. The service was successfully demonstrated by different projects and is currently implemented for the SAR satellite sensors TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X, Radarsat-2 and the Copernicus mission Sentinel-1; high resolution (HR) optical satellite sensors Landsat-8 and Copernicus Sentinel-2; and very high resolution (VHR) optical satellite sensors GeoEye-1, WorldView-1-4 and Deimos-2. Using TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites, the service is available for the commercial market via AIRBUS DS. Service based on very high resolution optical data is developed in partnership with European Space Imaging (EUSI), key provider of VHR optical satellite imagery in Europe. With respect to user needs different product formats are supported and operationally available. Fusion with AIS data from terrestrial and sa...
Very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite images are valuable sources of information for marit... more Very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite images are valuable sources of information for maritime situational awareness. The objective of the Maritime Security Lab Analysis Framework is to develop and integrate applications to support operational services based on optical satellite images in near real time (NRT). This presentation outlines the overview of the entire supply chain, from acquisition to automized analyses to the final delivery of the product, whereas the overall challenge is to streamline processes to commit to a very fast delivery to the European Maritime Safety Agency (less than 30 minutes). In the frame of maritime surveillance services based on satellite images, the Earth Observation Center (EOC), part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), established a framework to support automated big data processing from different satellite missions provided by a network of ground stations and service providers. Developed at the Maritime Safety and Security Lab, the Processin...
Innovative algorithms for Sentinel-1 (S1) satellite allow daily observations of meteo-marine para... more Innovative algorithms for Sentinel-1 (S1) satellite allow daily observations of meteo-marine parameters, tracking of storm propagation, study of local sea state variability and coastal processes. Several minutes after acquisition, the produced data with geo-coded information on wind speed and wave height can be transferred to the weather services for validation of the forecasting models worldwide. The different kind of data like coastline, wave height, surface wind speed, ice coverage, oil spills etc. can be processed in parallel for the same satellite image and combined with other information (e.g. model results, ship traffic) for supporting Maritime Situation Awareness (MSA). The algorithms currently developed for this purpose are integrated into a prototype processor for Sentinel-1 imagery. The DLR Ground Station Neustrelitz applies this prototype as part of a near real-time demonstrator MSA service. The presented scientific service involves daily provision of surface wind and se...
In September 2019, the ambitious multidisciplinary Arctic MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary dr... more In September 2019, the ambitious multidisciplinary Arctic MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) started. The research icebreaker Polarstern got anchored to an ice floe in the central Arctic for a complete seasonal cycle (with minimal interruption) drifting with the ice. The expedition provides a unique opportunity for the researchers to better understand and quantify relevant interactive processes within the atmosphere–ice–ocean system that impact the sea ice properties and dynamics. In order to fulfill this aim comprehensive coincident in-situ, airborne and satellite measurements are necessary. In the presence of Arctic winter and frequent cloud coverage over the study area, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has proven to supply very useful datasets to observe the sea ice properties and dynamics at higher spatial and temporal resolution. Through an outstanding collaboration between different space agencies and research institutes, i...
2016 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2016
This paper reports on the current status and recent extensions of the TerraSAR-X ground segment i... more This paper reports on the current status and recent extensions of the TerraSAR-X ground segment in its ninth year of operation.
Remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites have b... more Remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites have been used for validation and verification of the newly developed Coastal Wave Model (CWAM). The empirical XWAVE algorithm (Lehner et al., 2014) for derivation of peak wave length and significant wave height has been adopted for coastal application and implemented for near real time services. CWAM is based on WAM (Hasselmann et al. 1988). With a horizontal resolution of 900 m and considering the influence of fluctuating sea level and sea currents CWAM is used for daily operational sea state forecast for the German Bight and the western Baltic Sea (Kieser et al. 2013). 184 very high-resolution StripMap images from 50 satellite passages were processed and compared with buoy measurements and CWAM forecasts. Even though in many cases the comparisons show good agreements between remote sensing, in-situ, and forecast data, a number of local variations due to variety in bathymetry and atmospheric...
This paper presents the pathway towards the establishment of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellenc... more This paper presents the pathway towards the establishment of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence (ECoE), through the upgrade of the existing Remote Sensing & Geo-Environment Group - ERATOSTHENES Research Centre (ERC), within the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). The ECoE aspires to become a sustainable, viable and autonomous Centre of Excellence for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment. The ECoE will provide the highest quality of related services in the National, European, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East and Northern Africa areas (EMMENA). Therefore, drawing on the capitalization of experience and knowledge from previous projects and the research areas and international networks of the ERC, this papers highlights the importance of the establishment of the ECoE in the EMMENA area.
ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2015
The interpretation of optical Earth observation data (remote sensing data from satellites) requir... more The interpretation of optical Earth observation data (remote sensing data from satellites) requires knowledge of the exact geographic position of each pixel as well as the exact local acquisition time. But these parameters are not available in each case. If a satellite has a sun-synchronous orbit, equator crossing time (ECT) can be used to determine the local crossing time (LCT) and its corresponding solar zenith distance. Relation between local equator crossing time (LECT) and LCT is given by orbit geometry. The calculation is based on ECT of satellite. The method of actual ECT determination for different satellites on basis of the two-line-elements (TLE), available for their full lifetime period and with help of orbit prediction package is well known. For land surface temperature (LST) studies mean solar conditions are commonly used in the relation between ECT given in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and LECT given in hours, thus neglecting the difference between mean and real Su...
Abstract – Copernicus (former GMES, Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) is the Europea... more Abstract – Copernicus (former GMES, Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) is the European Earth Observation Program, conducted jointly by the European Commission, ESA, EUMETSAT and the member states. The space segment of Copernicus, the Sentinels series of satellites, will start to be launched early 2014, with the SAR imaging Sentinel-1 satellite, followed by Sentinel-2 and -3 in the same year. The core payload data ground segment is managed by ESA and established and operated by national partners. In this core ground segment, the DLR German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) was selected to install and operate Processing and Archiving Centers (PACs) for Sentinel-1, Sentinel-3-OLCI and for developing and operation of the Payload Data Ground Segment of th Sentinel-5 Precursor mission. Major data management functions and systems of these PACs and PDGS are based on DLR developments and facilities. Besides the Sentinel core ground segment, Copernicus also relies on the integratio...
Das Deutsche Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum (DFD) des DLR empfangt weltweit die Daten zahlreicher nat... more Das Deutsche Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum (DFD) des DLR empfangt weltweit die Daten zahlreicher nationaler, europaischer und vieler internationaler Satellitenmissionen. Das fur den Datenempfang erforderliche Nutzlastbodensegment umfasst neben den Antennenanlagen in Neustrelitz und Oberpfaffenhofen ein internationales Netzwerk von Empfangsstationen, unter anderem auf der antarktischen Halbinsel (GARS O’Higgins Station) und im Norden Kanadas (Inuvik Station) in der Arktis. Die Stationen sind fur den Multimissionsbetrieb ausgelegt und stehen auch fur Kampagnen und operationelle Einsatze europaischer und internationaler Missionen zur Verfugung. Die empfangenen Daten werden im DFD weiter zu hoherwertigen Informationsprodukten veredelt, uber das Internet bereitgestellt und langfristig fur ruckblickende Analysen gesichert und archiviert. Neben den Echtzeitsystemen fur die Maritime Sicherheit am DLR-Standort Neustrelitz wird derzeit nicht nur die Station Inuvik in der Arktis, sondern insbeson...
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and medium (MR) and very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite i... more Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and medium (MR) and very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite images are valuable sources of information for maritime situational awareness. This paper presents the Earth Observation Maritime Surveillance System (EO-MARISS), an integrated processing framework of remote sensing satellite data developed at DLR’s Maritime Safety and Security Lab Neustrelitz to support sea monitoring tasks. The system is currently developed for operational use at DLR’s Ground Station Neustrelitz to support service provider like AIRBUS or EUSI and processes image data from different satellite missions received directly at the ground station or provided by a network of ground stations and service providers
IGARSS 2018 - 2018 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
Vessel detection and type recognition is crucial in any maritime surveillance application. This c... more Vessel detection and type recognition is crucial in any maritime surveillance application. This component aims at preventing or investigating unlawful actions present at sea. Modern very high resolution (VHR) optical satellite sensors are able to capture images with spatial resolution up to 0.3m per pixel, which is sufficient to distinguish ship features such as bridge position, cranes, landing pads and many others and thus possible to differentiate ship types. This paper presents a new method for automatic vessel detection and type recognition based on fusion of deep convolutional neural network architectures (CNN), which has potential for near-real time (NRT) applications.
Space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images have proven to be very useful tool in challengi... more Space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images have proven to be very useful tool in challenging Polar environment - due to its active radar antenna which can acquire valuable data in all weathers, though clouds and darkness. In several polar expeditions, German Aerospace Center (DLR) acquired high-resolution SAR images from the satellite mission TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X over the planned course, and provided them to navigators on board the ship in near real-time. It has been shown that these targeted acquisitions helped the onboard navigators to identify cost effective routes. During the course of MOSAiC campaign German Aerospace Center (DLR) plans to provide SAR derived sea ice related products such as sea ice type, sea ice dirft information within Near Real Time through AWI’s MapViewer. The sea ice type product is based on dual polarized SAR acquisitions and capable to discriminate between open water and different types of sea ice (e.g. First Year Ice, Multi Year Ice). The sea ice d...
Sixth International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of the Environment (RSCy2018), 2018
Nowadays, maritime security faces many kinds of problems – environmental hazards, unlawful action... more Nowadays, maritime security faces many kinds of problems – environmental hazards, unlawful actions such like piracy, cargo theft, illegal border crossing etc. These challenges bring the situational awareness of this domain to a high level of importance. Optical satellite images, captured during cloudless weather conditions, are valuable source of information about situation at sea. On the one hand, modern very high resolution (VHR) optical sensors (e.g. WorldView family) taking images with spatial resolution higher than 0.5 m per pixel, enabling to perform object (ship) detection tasks. On the other hand, high resolution (HR) sensors like Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A(B) are able to cover relatively large areas and are suitable for environment monitoring tasks. Developed at the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Maritime Security Lab Processing Framework is intended to support the operational maritime surveillance near real time (NRT) services based HR and VHR optical satellite data. The Framework supports automated request driven processing from different satellite missions provided by a network of different ground stations and service providers. Actionable information products are created in an automatic processing chain including image pre-processing, data transcription and GUI based interactive value adding and validation. The paper will focus on the overall architecture of the framework including workflow of data handling, the interfaces and components, needed to enable fast data access for operator analysis and supervision.
IGARSS 2020 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2020
River runoff on the Louisiana Coast produces shallow, low-salinity lenses. Due to the presence of... more River runoff on the Louisiana Coast produces shallow, low-salinity lenses. Due to the presence of a leaking oil platform (Taylor Energy), the fine structure of these lenses is visible in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. In this paper, we report results of the comprehensive study including high-resolution remote sensing and in-situ observations of low-salinity lenses on the Louisiana Coast as well as modeling the lens using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Our results indicate that these transient near-surface lenses create significant horizontal density gradients and spread as gravity currents, influencing the propagation of oil slicks.
Knowing the location and type of sea ice is essential for safe navigation and route optimization ... more Knowing the location and type of sea ice is essential for safe navigation and route optimization in ice-covered areas. In this study, we developed a deep neural network (DNN) for pixel-based ice Stage of Development classification for the Baltic Sea using Landsat-8 optical satellite imagery to provide up-to-date ice information for Near-Real-Time maritime applications. In order to train the network, we labeled the ice regions shown in the Landsat-8 imagery with classes from the German Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) ice charts. These charts are routinely produced and distributed by the BSH Sea Ice Department. The compiled data set for the Baltic Sea region consists of 164 ice charts from 2014 to 2021 and contains ice types classified by the Stage of Development. Landsat-8 level 1 (L1b) images that could be overlaid with the available BSH ice charts based on the time of acquisition were downloaded from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) global archive and index...
Applications for near real time object detection, based on remote sensing satellite image data, w... more Applications for near real time object detection, based on remote sensing satellite image data, were developed and implemented as one of the first value adding services for Maritime Situation Awareness. The service was successfully demonstrated by different projects and is currently implemented for the SAR satellite sensors TerraSAR-X, TanDEM-X, Radarsat-2 and the Copernicus mission Sentinel-1; high resolution (HR) optical satellite sensors Landsat-8 and Copernicus Sentinel-2; and very high resolution (VHR) optical satellite sensors GeoEye-1, WorldView-1-4 and Deimos-2. Using TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites, the service is available for the commercial market via AIRBUS DS. Service based on very high resolution optical data is developed in partnership with European Space Imaging (EUSI), key provider of VHR optical satellite imagery in Europe. With respect to user needs different product formats are supported and operationally available. Fusion with AIS data from terrestrial and sa...
Very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite images are valuable sources of information for marit... more Very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite images are valuable sources of information for maritime situational awareness. The objective of the Maritime Security Lab Analysis Framework is to develop and integrate applications to support operational services based on optical satellite images in near real time (NRT). This presentation outlines the overview of the entire supply chain, from acquisition to automized analyses to the final delivery of the product, whereas the overall challenge is to streamline processes to commit to a very fast delivery to the European Maritime Safety Agency (less than 30 minutes). In the frame of maritime surveillance services based on satellite images, the Earth Observation Center (EOC), part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), established a framework to support automated big data processing from different satellite missions provided by a network of ground stations and service providers. Developed at the Maritime Safety and Security Lab, the Processin...
Innovative algorithms for Sentinel-1 (S1) satellite allow daily observations of meteo-marine para... more Innovative algorithms for Sentinel-1 (S1) satellite allow daily observations of meteo-marine parameters, tracking of storm propagation, study of local sea state variability and coastal processes. Several minutes after acquisition, the produced data with geo-coded information on wind speed and wave height can be transferred to the weather services for validation of the forecasting models worldwide. The different kind of data like coastline, wave height, surface wind speed, ice coverage, oil spills etc. can be processed in parallel for the same satellite image and combined with other information (e.g. model results, ship traffic) for supporting Maritime Situation Awareness (MSA). The algorithms currently developed for this purpose are integrated into a prototype processor for Sentinel-1 imagery. The DLR Ground Station Neustrelitz applies this prototype as part of a near real-time demonstrator MSA service. The presented scientific service involves daily provision of surface wind and se...
In September 2019, the ambitious multidisciplinary Arctic MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary dr... more In September 2019, the ambitious multidisciplinary Arctic MOSAiC expedition (Multidisciplinary drifting Observatory for the Study of Arctic Climate) started. The research icebreaker Polarstern got anchored to an ice floe in the central Arctic for a complete seasonal cycle (with minimal interruption) drifting with the ice. The expedition provides a unique opportunity for the researchers to better understand and quantify relevant interactive processes within the atmosphere–ice–ocean system that impact the sea ice properties and dynamics. In order to fulfill this aim comprehensive coincident in-situ, airborne and satellite measurements are necessary. In the presence of Arctic winter and frequent cloud coverage over the study area, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has proven to supply very useful datasets to observe the sea ice properties and dynamics at higher spatial and temporal resolution. Through an outstanding collaboration between different space agencies and research institutes, i...
2016 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium (IGARSS), 2016
This paper reports on the current status and recent extensions of the TerraSAR-X ground segment i... more This paper reports on the current status and recent extensions of the TerraSAR-X ground segment in its ninth year of operation.
Remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites have b... more Remote sensing Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data from TerraSAR-X and TanDEM-X satellites have been used for validation and verification of the newly developed Coastal Wave Model (CWAM). The empirical XWAVE algorithm (Lehner et al., 2014) for derivation of peak wave length and significant wave height has been adopted for coastal application and implemented for near real time services. CWAM is based on WAM (Hasselmann et al. 1988). With a horizontal resolution of 900 m and considering the influence of fluctuating sea level and sea currents CWAM is used for daily operational sea state forecast for the German Bight and the western Baltic Sea (Kieser et al. 2013). 184 very high-resolution StripMap images from 50 satellite passages were processed and compared with buoy measurements and CWAM forecasts. Even though in many cases the comparisons show good agreements between remote sensing, in-situ, and forecast data, a number of local variations due to variety in bathymetry and atmospheric...
This paper presents the pathway towards the establishment of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellenc... more This paper presents the pathway towards the establishment of the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence (ECoE), through the upgrade of the existing Remote Sensing & Geo-Environment Group - ERATOSTHENES Research Centre (ERC), within the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT). The ECoE aspires to become a sustainable, viable and autonomous Centre of Excellence for Earth Surveillance and Space-Based Monitoring of the Environment. The ECoE will provide the highest quality of related services in the National, European, Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East and Northern Africa areas (EMMENA). Therefore, drawing on the capitalization of experience and knowledge from previous projects and the research areas and international networks of the ERC, this papers highlights the importance of the establishment of the ECoE in the EMMENA area.
ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2015
The interpretation of optical Earth observation data (remote sensing data from satellites) requir... more The interpretation of optical Earth observation data (remote sensing data from satellites) requires knowledge of the exact geographic position of each pixel as well as the exact local acquisition time. But these parameters are not available in each case. If a satellite has a sun-synchronous orbit, equator crossing time (ECT) can be used to determine the local crossing time (LCT) and its corresponding solar zenith distance. Relation between local equator crossing time (LECT) and LCT is given by orbit geometry. The calculation is based on ECT of satellite. The method of actual ECT determination for different satellites on basis of the two-line-elements (TLE), available for their full lifetime period and with help of orbit prediction package is well known. For land surface temperature (LST) studies mean solar conditions are commonly used in the relation between ECT given in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and LECT given in hours, thus neglecting the difference between mean and real Su...
Abstract – Copernicus (former GMES, Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) is the Europea... more Abstract – Copernicus (former GMES, Global Monitoring of Environment and Security) is the European Earth Observation Program, conducted jointly by the European Commission, ESA, EUMETSAT and the member states. The space segment of Copernicus, the Sentinels series of satellites, will start to be launched early 2014, with the SAR imaging Sentinel-1 satellite, followed by Sentinel-2 and -3 in the same year. The core payload data ground segment is managed by ESA and established and operated by national partners. In this core ground segment, the DLR German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD) was selected to install and operate Processing and Archiving Centers (PACs) for Sentinel-1, Sentinel-3-OLCI and for developing and operation of the Payload Data Ground Segment of th Sentinel-5 Precursor mission. Major data management functions and systems of these PACs and PDGS are based on DLR developments and facilities. Besides the Sentinel core ground segment, Copernicus also relies on the integratio...
Das Deutsche Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum (DFD) des DLR empfangt weltweit die Daten zahlreicher nat... more Das Deutsche Fernerkundungsdatenzentrum (DFD) des DLR empfangt weltweit die Daten zahlreicher nationaler, europaischer und vieler internationaler Satellitenmissionen. Das fur den Datenempfang erforderliche Nutzlastbodensegment umfasst neben den Antennenanlagen in Neustrelitz und Oberpfaffenhofen ein internationales Netzwerk von Empfangsstationen, unter anderem auf der antarktischen Halbinsel (GARS O’Higgins Station) und im Norden Kanadas (Inuvik Station) in der Arktis. Die Stationen sind fur den Multimissionsbetrieb ausgelegt und stehen auch fur Kampagnen und operationelle Einsatze europaischer und internationaler Missionen zur Verfugung. Die empfangenen Daten werden im DFD weiter zu hoherwertigen Informationsprodukten veredelt, uber das Internet bereitgestellt und langfristig fur ruckblickende Analysen gesichert und archiviert. Neben den Echtzeitsystemen fur die Maritime Sicherheit am DLR-Standort Neustrelitz wird derzeit nicht nur die Station Inuvik in der Arktis, sondern insbeson...
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and medium (MR) and very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite i... more Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and medium (MR) and very high (VHR) resolution optical satellite images are valuable sources of information for maritime situational awareness. This paper presents the Earth Observation Maritime Surveillance System (EO-MARISS), an integrated processing framework of remote sensing satellite data developed at DLR’s Maritime Safety and Security Lab Neustrelitz to support sea monitoring tasks. The system is currently developed for operational use at DLR’s Ground Station Neustrelitz to support service provider like AIRBUS or EUSI and processes image data from different satellite missions received directly at the ground station or provided by a network of ground stations and service providers
IGARSS 2018 - 2018 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium
Vessel detection and type recognition is crucial in any maritime surveillance application. This c... more Vessel detection and type recognition is crucial in any maritime surveillance application. This component aims at preventing or investigating unlawful actions present at sea. Modern very high resolution (VHR) optical satellite sensors are able to capture images with spatial resolution up to 0.3m per pixel, which is sufficient to distinguish ship features such as bridge position, cranes, landing pads and many others and thus possible to differentiate ship types. This paper presents a new method for automatic vessel detection and type recognition based on fusion of deep convolutional neural network architectures (CNN), which has potential for near-real time (NRT) applications.
Space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images have proven to be very useful tool in challengi... more Space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images have proven to be very useful tool in challenging Polar environment - due to its active radar antenna which can acquire valuable data in all weathers, though clouds and darkness. In several polar expeditions, German Aerospace Center (DLR) acquired high-resolution SAR images from the satellite mission TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X over the planned course, and provided them to navigators on board the ship in near real-time. It has been shown that these targeted acquisitions helped the onboard navigators to identify cost effective routes. During the course of MOSAiC campaign German Aerospace Center (DLR) plans to provide SAR derived sea ice related products such as sea ice type, sea ice dirft information within Near Real Time through AWI’s MapViewer. The sea ice type product is based on dual polarized SAR acquisitions and capable to discriminate between open water and different types of sea ice (e.g. First Year Ice, Multi Year Ice). The sea ice d...
Sixth International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation of the Environment (RSCy2018), 2018
Nowadays, maritime security faces many kinds of problems – environmental hazards, unlawful action... more Nowadays, maritime security faces many kinds of problems – environmental hazards, unlawful actions such like piracy, cargo theft, illegal border crossing etc. These challenges bring the situational awareness of this domain to a high level of importance. Optical satellite images, captured during cloudless weather conditions, are valuable source of information about situation at sea. On the one hand, modern very high resolution (VHR) optical sensors (e.g. WorldView family) taking images with spatial resolution higher than 0.5 m per pixel, enabling to perform object (ship) detection tasks. On the other hand, high resolution (HR) sensors like Landsat-8 and Sentinel-2A(B) are able to cover relatively large areas and are suitable for environment monitoring tasks. Developed at the German Remote Sensing Data Center (DFD), part of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Maritime Security Lab Processing Framework is intended to support the operational maritime surveillance near real time (NRT) services based HR and VHR optical satellite data. The Framework supports automated request driven processing from different satellite missions provided by a network of different ground stations and service providers. Actionable information products are created in an automatic processing chain including image pre-processing, data transcription and GUI based interactive value adding and validation. The paper will focus on the overall architecture of the framework including workflow of data handling, the interfaces and components, needed to enable fast data access for operator analysis and supervision.
IGARSS 2020 - 2020 IEEE International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 2020
River runoff on the Louisiana Coast produces shallow, low-salinity lenses. Due to the presence of... more River runoff on the Louisiana Coast produces shallow, low-salinity lenses. Due to the presence of a leaking oil platform (Taylor Energy), the fine structure of these lenses is visible in synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery. In this paper, we report results of the comprehensive study including high-resolution remote sensing and in-situ observations of low-salinity lenses on the Louisiana Coast as well as modeling the lens using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model. Our results indicate that these transient near-surface lenses create significant horizontal density gradients and spread as gravity currents, influencing the propagation of oil slicks.
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Papers by Egbert Schwarz