National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council

Workshop Examines How Satellites Can Aid Disaster Response


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Sunlight illuminated the lingering oil slick of the Mississippi Delta on May 24, 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite captured this image. Photo courtesy NASA.

July 7, 2010 -- Recent disasters -- such as the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, earthquake in Haiti, volcano in Iceland, station fires in California, and floods in Tennessee -- have showcased how using satellite images and data can help assess damages and losses. A workshop today by the National Research Council's Disasters Roundtable explores how satellites can be used before, during, and after disasters and how to use them even more effectively 10 years from now.