- NASA has crunched the data from satellite images to show the true extent of the damage to Beirut after an explosion shook the city last week.
- By comparing before and after images, the system can detect where the most serious damage occurred.
- Maps like this help emergency responders direct resources to areas where survivors can still be rescued.
Last week, a devastating explosion shook the city of Beirut. It happened near the Port of Beirut, and there are many accounts and videos of convicts who see the intense explosion as the aftermath of the ground. It was a tragedy that claimed well over 100 lives and injured countless others, and the cleaning and repairs will undoubtedly take years to complete.
NASA’s Earth-seeing satellites are often used to spot changes in large areas, such as melting icebergs or the effects of fires. Now, in collaboration with the Earth Observatory of Singapore, NASA has used data from these high-flying observation tools to produce a map showing just how widespread the destruction is in Beirut.
By comparing previous satellite images of the same region with new images taken after the explosion, NASA’s systems can detect both large and small changes in the landscape. This includes issues such as collapsed buildings and changes to the geography of the area. The system marks each spot where it notices a difference, and the darker the pixel, the more dramatic the damage.
“NASA’s Advanced Rapid Imaging and Analysis (ARIA) team, in collaboration with the Earth Observatory of Singapore, used satellite-derived synthetic aperture radar data to reduce the likely extent of damage caused by a massive August 4 explosion in Beirut,” NASA said. in a new blog post. “Synthetic aperture radar data from space shows changes in the ground surface from before and after a major event such as an earthquake. In this case, it is used to show the devastating result of an explosion. ”
When maps like these are generated, it is not just for the purpose of seeing how bad things are. The levels of destruction in any particular area can be a great indicator for emergency responders trying to find survivors under the wreck. When damage is widespread, it is sometimes not immediately clear where emergency responders should focus their attention, but these cards act as a guide to steer them in the right direction.
Apparently the explosion happened when a massive stock of ammonium nitrate caught fire. The 2,750 tons of the chemical had been stored for about six years in a warehouse near the port. In agriculture it is often used as a fertilizer, but it is also very explosive under the right conditions. While reports of casualties are constantly changing, the explosion could have killed as many as 220 people, with at least another 100 people still missing from the area.
Mike Wehner has reported on technology and video games for the past decade, covering breaking news and trends in VR, wearables, smartphones, and future tech. Most recently, Mike served as Tech Editor at The Daily Dot, and has appeared in USA Today, Time.com, and countless other web and print stores. His love for reporting is second only to his game addiction.
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