The exacerbation of wildfires, attributed to the effects of climate change, presents substantial ... more The exacerbation of wildfires, attributed to the effects of climate change, presents substantial risks to ecological systems, infrastructure, and human well-being. In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, prioritizing the assessment and management of the occurrence and intensity of extensive wildfires is of utmost importance. In recent times, there has been a significant increase in the frequency and severity of widespread wildfires worldwide, affecting several locations, including Australia, Italy, and the United States of America. The presence of complex phenomena marked by limited predictability leads to significant negative impacts on biodiversity and human lives. The utilization of satellite-derived data with neural networks, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), is a potentially advantageous approach for augmenting the monitoring capabilities of wildfires. This research examines the generalization capabil...
Accurate fuel mapping is crucial for effectively determining wildfire risk and implementing manag... more Accurate fuel mapping is crucial for effectively determining wildfire risk and implementing management strategies. The primary challenge in fuel type mapping lies in the need to develop accurate and efficient methods for identifying and categorizing the various combustible materials present in an area, often on a large scale. In response to this need, this paper presents a comprehensive approach that combines remote sensing data and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to discriminate between fire behavior fuel models. In particular, a CNN-based classification approach that leverages Sentinel-2 imagery is exploited to accurately classify fuel types into seven preliminary main classes (broadleaf, conifers, shrubs, grass, bare soil, urban areas, and water bodies). To further refine the fuel mapping results, subclasses were generated from the seven principles by using biomass and bioclimatic maps. These additional maps provide complementary information about vegetation density and climat...
A general multichannel algorithm for land surface temperature estimation is described. It has bee... more A general multichannel algorithm for land surface temperature estimation is described. It has been set up by simulations of NOAA / AVHRR-2 measurements in order to parameterize the temperature correction due to atmospheric water vapor absorption and deviation of surface emissivity from unity at 11 and 12 micrometers wavelengths. The parameterization is based on model calculations performed with FASCODE, a line - by - line radiative transfer program. A comparison with one particular algorithm1 selected by ESA to produce global thermal maps of the Earth2 shows no significant difference in the retrieved surface temperature for water vapor around 2.5 g/cm2. For greater deviations from this value of water vapor content the difference in the results can be remarkably large. Model calculations have been performed for deviations of each parameter (water vapor and surface emissivity) individually and for both parameters simultaneously. The approach used allows the application of the algorithm to other sensors. In fact, the next step of our activity on this subject envisages its application to the appropriate bands of the MODIS sensor.
<p>Earth Observation (EO) data characterised by a spatial resolution in the range o... more <p>Earth Observation (EO) data characterised by a spatial resolution in the range of 10-30 m (e.g., Sentinel 1 – S1, Sentinel 2 – S2, Landsat series), systematically acquired and freely distributed by national and international space agencies/institutions (e.g., ESA, EU, NASA), are a valuable tool for analysing shoreline evolution trends. These data can be used for supporting coastal erosion hazard and risk management strategies (Cenci et al., 2018). However, the accuracy of such trends is not often quantified because of the difficulties in finding systematic and freely available EO data at Very High Resolution (VHR) concurrently acquired over the same target areas to use as reference.</p> <p>Within this context, this work was conceived for taking advantage of the Copernicus VHR optical datasets (spatial resolution: 2-4 m) to use as reference data to validate the shoreline evolution trends obtained by exploiting S1 and S2 images. The abovementioned analysis was carried out for a short-term scenario (i.e., 3 years: from 2015 to 2018) in an exemplifying littoral of the Mediterranean Sea characterised by both urbanised and natural coastal areas: i.e., Lido di Ostia (Rome, Italy). Importantly, the shoreline extraction method used in this case study was based on a methodological approach that allowed to map the shoreline positions with sub-pixel precision (Bishop-Taylor et al., 2019; Cenci et al., 2021).</p> <p>Preliminary results showed that the shoreline evolution trends based on the S2 Visible Near-InfraRed (VNIR) spectral bands (spatial resolution: 10 m) retain an accuracy of 4.5 m (in term of Root Mean Squared Error - RMSE), if compared against the corresponding trends acquired by using Copernicus VHR data with a spatial resolution of 2 m. At the conference, the results of the analysis based on S1 data will be also presented, as well as a thorough interpretation and discussion of the S1 and S2 -based results that take into account the characteristics of the coastal area under assessment (e.g., presence or absence of defence structures) and the relationship between the magnitude of the shoreline advance/retreat trends and the corresponding accuracy. The overall objective of this work is to show the potentialities of the Copernicus EO data for the management of the coastal erosion hazard/risk in the Mediterranean area.</p> <p><strong>References:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bishop-Taylor R., Sagar S., Lymburner L., Alam I. and Sixsmith J. Sub-Pixel Waterline Extraction: Characterising Accuracy and Sensitivity to Indices and Spectra. <em>Remote Sensing</em>. 2019; 11(24):2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11242984</li> <li>Cenci L., Disperati L., Persichillo M.G., Oliveira E.R., Alves F.L. and Michael Phillips. Integrating remote sensing and GIS techniques for monitoring and modeling shoreline evolution to support coastal risk management. GIScience & Remote Sensing. 2018. 55(3), pp. 355-375.https://doi.org/10.1080/15481603.2017.1376370</li> <li>Cenci L., Pampanoni V., Laneve G., Santella C. and Boccia V. Evaluating the Potentialities of Copernicus Very High Resolution (VHR) Optical Datasets for Assessing the Shoreline Erosion Hazard in Microtidal Environments. AIT Series: Trends in earth observation. 2021. Volume 2, pp. 81-84. ISSN: 2612-7148. ISBN: 978-88-944687-0-0. Published on behalf of the Associazione Italiana di Telerilevamento (AIT) https://aitonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PlanetCarefromSpace.pdf DOI: 10.978.88944687/00</li> </ul>
In this work, we present the calibration and validation method we have applied in order to retrie... more In this work, we present the calibration and validation method we have applied in order to retrieve the split window (SW) coefficients for land surface temperature (LST) estimations from Thermal Airborne Spectrographic imager (TASI). For calibration and validation two different datasets has been used, both extracted from SeeBor V5.0 training dataset. The coefficients have been retrieved by a multiple regression analysis and MODTRAN simulations. For the radiative transfer experiment, we considered seven different viewing angles in a range between 0° and 60° with a step of 10°. Simulations have been performed considering all TASI channel combinations and the sensor spectral response functions. Preliminary results are presented for best band combinations suitable for SW algorithm application; these are channel 19 (10.034 gm) with 28 (11.024 gm), and channel 29 (11.134 gm) with 31 (11.354 gm). Finally, validation of the LST retrievals presents a RMSE lower than 0.6 K for both band combinations.
This paper describes the suitability of airborne emissivity data to locate those materials notewo... more This paper describes the suitability of airborne emissivity data to locate those materials noteworthy in an urban context. Among them, the test cases of asphalt roads and asbestos cement roofs were analyzed to individuate those where a maintenance intervention is required. To this aim, we first identify and select using a segmentation procedure the roads' asphalt pavements and the asbestos
An experiment to test the equivalence of inertial to gravitational (passive) mass in space offers... more An experiment to test the equivalence of inertial to gravitational (passive) mass in space offers two main advantages: a signal about a factor of a thousand larger than on Earth and the possibility of exploiting the absence of weight. `Galileo Galilei' (GG) is a small satellite mission currently under study in Italy with the financial support of ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana). The mission concerns a small, low Earth satellite ( total mass, altitude) with two objectives. One is scientific, in the field of fundamental physics, and the other technological within the framework of spacecraft propulsion and drag compensation. The scientific goal is to test the equivalence principle to one part in , four orders of magnitude better than the best ground results. The technological goal is a full, comprehensive test of FEEP (field emission electric propulsion) thrusters for accurate drag compensation, a technology developed in Europe by the ESA (European Space Agency) which is likely to become an essential component of all space experiments which require measurement of small forces. The GG experiment is based on novel concepts and does not require low temperatures.
In the field of satellite constellations, an important requirement is often represented by the po... more In the field of satellite constellations, an important requirement is often represented by the possibility to exchange data among the satellites or exploit mutual visibility to carry out measurements on the parameters of the Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, recursive and routing algorithms are usually implemented to evaluate inter-satellite visibility intervals. However, to design the configuration of the constellation, it is important to consider the orbital conditions that guarantee the mutual visibility between couples of satellites. Thus, in this study, a geometric analysis was performed to identify the optimal inter-satellite visibility conditions, expressed in terms of the difference in the true anomaly between satellites characterized by different orbital configurations. This approach allows a handy constellation design, without performing a numerical analysis. It is particularly useful in the case of a high number of satellites, when numerical techniques require significant computational effort. Therefore, it is possible to considerably simplify the design of a constellation in which the mutual visibility between couples of satellites is always guaranteed. This type of constellation, usually referred to as satellite chain, can be exploited in several network services and remote sensing systems devoted to enhancing the knowledge of atmospheric parameters.
ABSTRACT Export Date: 12 February 2013, Source: Scopus, Art. No.: 6351620, References: ASI the PR... more ABSTRACT Export Date: 12 February 2013, Source: Scopus, Art. No.: 6351620, References: ASI the PRISMA Mission (DC-OST-2009-124), , http://www.asi.it/files/The%20PRISMA%20mission.pdf;
The exacerbation of wildfires, attributed to the effects of climate change, presents substantial ... more The exacerbation of wildfires, attributed to the effects of climate change, presents substantial risks to ecological systems, infrastructure, and human well-being. In the context of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to climate action, prioritizing the assessment and management of the occurrence and intensity of extensive wildfires is of utmost importance. In recent times, there has been a significant increase in the frequency and severity of widespread wildfires worldwide, affecting several locations, including Australia, Italy, and the United States of America. The presence of complex phenomena marked by limited predictability leads to significant negative impacts on biodiversity and human lives. The utilization of satellite-derived data with neural networks, such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs), is a potentially advantageous approach for augmenting the monitoring capabilities of wildfires. This research examines the generalization capabil...
Accurate fuel mapping is crucial for effectively determining wildfire risk and implementing manag... more Accurate fuel mapping is crucial for effectively determining wildfire risk and implementing management strategies. The primary challenge in fuel type mapping lies in the need to develop accurate and efficient methods for identifying and categorizing the various combustible materials present in an area, often on a large scale. In response to this need, this paper presents a comprehensive approach that combines remote sensing data and Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) to discriminate between fire behavior fuel models. In particular, a CNN-based classification approach that leverages Sentinel-2 imagery is exploited to accurately classify fuel types into seven preliminary main classes (broadleaf, conifers, shrubs, grass, bare soil, urban areas, and water bodies). To further refine the fuel mapping results, subclasses were generated from the seven principles by using biomass and bioclimatic maps. These additional maps provide complementary information about vegetation density and climat...
A general multichannel algorithm for land surface temperature estimation is described. It has bee... more A general multichannel algorithm for land surface temperature estimation is described. It has been set up by simulations of NOAA / AVHRR-2 measurements in order to parameterize the temperature correction due to atmospheric water vapor absorption and deviation of surface emissivity from unity at 11 and 12 micrometers wavelengths. The parameterization is based on model calculations performed with FASCODE, a line - by - line radiative transfer program. A comparison with one particular algorithm1 selected by ESA to produce global thermal maps of the Earth2 shows no significant difference in the retrieved surface temperature for water vapor around 2.5 g/cm2. For greater deviations from this value of water vapor content the difference in the results can be remarkably large. Model calculations have been performed for deviations of each parameter (water vapor and surface emissivity) individually and for both parameters simultaneously. The approach used allows the application of the algorithm to other sensors. In fact, the next step of our activity on this subject envisages its application to the appropriate bands of the MODIS sensor.
<p>Earth Observation (EO) data characterised by a spatial resolution in the range o... more <p>Earth Observation (EO) data characterised by a spatial resolution in the range of 10-30 m (e.g., Sentinel 1 – S1, Sentinel 2 – S2, Landsat series), systematically acquired and freely distributed by national and international space agencies/institutions (e.g., ESA, EU, NASA), are a valuable tool for analysing shoreline evolution trends. These data can be used for supporting coastal erosion hazard and risk management strategies (Cenci et al., 2018). However, the accuracy of such trends is not often quantified because of the difficulties in finding systematic and freely available EO data at Very High Resolution (VHR) concurrently acquired over the same target areas to use as reference.</p> <p>Within this context, this work was conceived for taking advantage of the Copernicus VHR optical datasets (spatial resolution: 2-4 m) to use as reference data to validate the shoreline evolution trends obtained by exploiting S1 and S2 images. The abovementioned analysis was carried out for a short-term scenario (i.e., 3 years: from 2015 to 2018) in an exemplifying littoral of the Mediterranean Sea characterised by both urbanised and natural coastal areas: i.e., Lido di Ostia (Rome, Italy). Importantly, the shoreline extraction method used in this case study was based on a methodological approach that allowed to map the shoreline positions with sub-pixel precision (Bishop-Taylor et al., 2019; Cenci et al., 2021).</p> <p>Preliminary results showed that the shoreline evolution trends based on the S2 Visible Near-InfraRed (VNIR) spectral bands (spatial resolution: 10 m) retain an accuracy of 4.5 m (in term of Root Mean Squared Error - RMSE), if compared against the corresponding trends acquired by using Copernicus VHR data with a spatial resolution of 2 m. At the conference, the results of the analysis based on S1 data will be also presented, as well as a thorough interpretation and discussion of the S1 and S2 -based results that take into account the characteristics of the coastal area under assessment (e.g., presence or absence of defence structures) and the relationship between the magnitude of the shoreline advance/retreat trends and the corresponding accuracy. The overall objective of this work is to show the potentialities of the Copernicus EO data for the management of the coastal erosion hazard/risk in the Mediterranean area.</p> <p><strong>References:</strong></p> <ul> <li>Bishop-Taylor R., Sagar S., Lymburner L., Alam I. and Sixsmith J. Sub-Pixel Waterline Extraction: Characterising Accuracy and Sensitivity to Indices and Spectra. <em>Remote Sensing</em>. 2019; 11(24):2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11242984</li> <li>Cenci L., Disperati L., Persichillo M.G., Oliveira E.R., Alves F.L. and Michael Phillips. Integrating remote sensing and GIS techniques for monitoring and modeling shoreline evolution to support coastal risk management. GIScience & Remote Sensing. 2018. 55(3), pp. 355-375.https://doi.org/10.1080/15481603.2017.1376370</li> <li>Cenci L., Pampanoni V., Laneve G., Santella C. and Boccia V. Evaluating the Potentialities of Copernicus Very High Resolution (VHR) Optical Datasets for Assessing the Shoreline Erosion Hazard in Microtidal Environments. AIT Series: Trends in earth observation. 2021. Volume 2, pp. 81-84. ISSN: 2612-7148. ISBN: 978-88-944687-0-0. Published on behalf of the Associazione Italiana di Telerilevamento (AIT) https://aitonline.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PlanetCarefromSpace.pdf DOI: 10.978.88944687/00</li> </ul>
In this work, we present the calibration and validation method we have applied in order to retrie... more In this work, we present the calibration and validation method we have applied in order to retrieve the split window (SW) coefficients for land surface temperature (LST) estimations from Thermal Airborne Spectrographic imager (TASI). For calibration and validation two different datasets has been used, both extracted from SeeBor V5.0 training dataset. The coefficients have been retrieved by a multiple regression analysis and MODTRAN simulations. For the radiative transfer experiment, we considered seven different viewing angles in a range between 0° and 60° with a step of 10°. Simulations have been performed considering all TASI channel combinations and the sensor spectral response functions. Preliminary results are presented for best band combinations suitable for SW algorithm application; these are channel 19 (10.034 gm) with 28 (11.024 gm), and channel 29 (11.134 gm) with 31 (11.354 gm). Finally, validation of the LST retrievals presents a RMSE lower than 0.6 K for both band combinations.
This paper describes the suitability of airborne emissivity data to locate those materials notewo... more This paper describes the suitability of airborne emissivity data to locate those materials noteworthy in an urban context. Among them, the test cases of asphalt roads and asbestos cement roofs were analyzed to individuate those where a maintenance intervention is required. To this aim, we first identify and select using a segmentation procedure the roads' asphalt pavements and the asbestos
An experiment to test the equivalence of inertial to gravitational (passive) mass in space offers... more An experiment to test the equivalence of inertial to gravitational (passive) mass in space offers two main advantages: a signal about a factor of a thousand larger than on Earth and the possibility of exploiting the absence of weight. `Galileo Galilei' (GG) is a small satellite mission currently under study in Italy with the financial support of ASI (Agenzia Spaziale Italiana). The mission concerns a small, low Earth satellite ( total mass, altitude) with two objectives. One is scientific, in the field of fundamental physics, and the other technological within the framework of spacecraft propulsion and drag compensation. The scientific goal is to test the equivalence principle to one part in , four orders of magnitude better than the best ground results. The technological goal is a full, comprehensive test of FEEP (field emission electric propulsion) thrusters for accurate drag compensation, a technology developed in Europe by the ESA (European Space Agency) which is likely to become an essential component of all space experiments which require measurement of small forces. The GG experiment is based on novel concepts and does not require low temperatures.
In the field of satellite constellations, an important requirement is often represented by the po... more In the field of satellite constellations, an important requirement is often represented by the possibility to exchange data among the satellites or exploit mutual visibility to carry out measurements on the parameters of the Earth’s atmosphere. Therefore, recursive and routing algorithms are usually implemented to evaluate inter-satellite visibility intervals. However, to design the configuration of the constellation, it is important to consider the orbital conditions that guarantee the mutual visibility between couples of satellites. Thus, in this study, a geometric analysis was performed to identify the optimal inter-satellite visibility conditions, expressed in terms of the difference in the true anomaly between satellites characterized by different orbital configurations. This approach allows a handy constellation design, without performing a numerical analysis. It is particularly useful in the case of a high number of satellites, when numerical techniques require significant computational effort. Therefore, it is possible to considerably simplify the design of a constellation in which the mutual visibility between couples of satellites is always guaranteed. This type of constellation, usually referred to as satellite chain, can be exploited in several network services and remote sensing systems devoted to enhancing the knowledge of atmospheric parameters.
ABSTRACT Export Date: 12 February 2013, Source: Scopus, Art. No.: 6351620, References: ASI the PR... more ABSTRACT Export Date: 12 February 2013, Source: Scopus, Art. No.: 6351620, References: ASI the PRISMA Mission (DC-OST-2009-124), , http://www.asi.it/files/The%20PRISMA%20mission.pdf;
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