A magnitude-6.6 earthquake struck Minxian and Zhangxian Counties of Gansu Province on July 22, 2013. RADI responded immediately by producing and processing the historical data of the earthquake-stricken region on the SPOT-4, SPOT-5, and THEOS satellites. Online data sharing was launched at 16:13 on the day of earthquake, which played a critical role in evaluating the losses. By 16:00 of July 25, the pre-earthquake satellite monitoring data had been downloaded 5,738 times, with a total data flow of 87.79GB. Meanwhile, RADI submitted the application for urgent acquisition of data from THEOS, RADARSAT-2, and other satellites and kept close contact with domestic satellite users to gather relevant data promptly.
Moreover, RADI carried out a quick evaluation on the affected area and population. RADI researchers made use of data acquired through SJ-9, GF-1, and Pleiades of Spot Image, as well as high-resolution aerial remote sensing data to analyze and interpret the occurrence of house collapse, subsequent geological disasters like landslide, and the construction of temporary settlements, and provided timely analysis to relevant authorities.
Remote sensing monitoring for collapsed houses in the severely afflicted areas of Dingxi earthquake.
Distribution map of secondary hazards of Dingxi earthquake.