ASTERAdvanced Spaceborne Emission and Reflection Radiometer

ASTER Instrument

VNIR Visible/Near Infrared Radiometer# of Bands: 3 Nadir + 1 Aft-LookingSpatial Resolution: 15 m

SWIR Short Wave Infrared Radiometer# of Bands: 6 NadirSpatial Resolution: 30 m

TIR Thermal Infrared Radiometer# of Bands: 5 NadirSpatial Resolution: 90 m

Has 3 sensors and detects 14 bands of spectrum. Launched December 1999 Ground resolution is 15m ~ 90m.

ASTER Data Acquisition

Methodology

ASTER GDEM

ASTER coverage (~1.5 million scenes in summer 2008)Deeper red indicates more data accumulated.

Generation of a seamless tile of DEM using all ASTER data ever acquired over the tile

A seamless Tile of DEM

GEOSS

Both US and Japan committed to contribute to GEOSSat Capetown Summit 2007.

Contribution to

Global coverage

Automated processing

ASTER scene (60km x 60km)

Tile (1 arc degree square)

1. Stereo-correlate entire ~ 1.5 million scene ASTER Archive; 2. Cloud mask to remove cloudy pixels;3. Stack all DEMS & remove residual bad values and outliers; 4. Partition data into 1º x 1º tiles ---

SRTM3 coverage

ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model ASTER Global Digital Elevation Model (GDEM)(GDEM)

23,000 1x1 degree tiles 30 m postings Released June 2009

Available thru LPDAAC & GDS Free to ALL users Version 2 to be released Spring 2011

Various DisastersVarious Disasters

Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano EruptionEruption

Time-lapse photo of eruption cloud and lightningTime-lapse photo of eruption cloud and lightning

Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano EruptionEruption

April 1 perspective view showing early phase of lava flow and lahar emplacementApril 1 perspective view showing early phase of lava flow and lahar emplacement

Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano EruptionEruption

April 19 MODIS image of ash plume. April 19 MODIS image of ash plume.

ASTER image

Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano EruptionEruption

April 19 image of ash plume. Red is thermal infrared signature of active vent and earlier flows.April 19 image of ash plume. Red is thermal infrared signature of active vent and earlier flows.

Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano Eyjafjallajökull Iceland Volcano EruptionEruption

April 19 image of ash plume. Thermal infrared channels highlight ash vs SO2 in plume.April 19 image of ash plume. Thermal infrared channels highlight ash vs SO2 in plume.

Baja California April 4 Earthquake, M=7.2Baja California April 4 Earthquake, M=7.2

Baja California April 4 Earthquake, M=7.2Baja California April 4 Earthquake, M=7.2

Sub-pixel co-registration of before and Sub-pixel co-registration of before and after ASTER images allows after ASTER images allows determination of displacements between determination of displacements between images. The results indicate ~4m of images. The results indicate ~4m of right-lateral offset, and ~1 m vertical right-lateral offset, and ~1 m vertical offset. This is in agreement with several offset. This is in agreement with several field observations.field observations.

Courtesy Dr. Sebastien Leprince, Caltech

April 20 Gulf of Mexico Oil SpillApril 20 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

Oil PlatformOil Platform

ShipShip

May 1 ASTER image of oil May 1 ASTER image of oil spill, ~20 miles from spill, ~20 miles from Mississippi DeltaMississippi Delta

April 20 Gulf of Mexico Oil SpillApril 20 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

May 1: visible (left); thermal (right) showing current fronts, oil thickness, and attempts to burn oil.May 1: visible (left); thermal (right) showing current fronts, oil thickness, and attempts to burn oil.