Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/27856
NEWSLINK Geo Firms Shine in Australian Flood Modeling Media in Australia and elsewhere used a host of mapping tools to report on the floods that ravaged eastern Australia in late 2010 and early 2011. AAM’s “3-D Flood Simulation of Brisbane” product, for example, was used extensively by Australian and international media during the flooding. According to AAM officials, flood-level simulations produced in an interactive 3-D format served as an effective way to communicate the flood’s impact on buildings and infrastructure, allowing users to assess risk potential before and during the flood peak. The flood simulation was based on accurate geospatial terrain data created by AAM. “We hope that the recent events in Queensland will prompt greater consideration to be given to high-resolu- tion mapping, which can then be used to help manage future flood events in many areas of Australia at risk,” noted Brian Nicholls, AAM general manager. Esri also added its expertise to the Australian flood monitoring. The company developed a Web application providing mapping and analysis that could be used to enhance Australia flood information sup- plied through the Ushahidi social network. Ushahidi lets users report incidents via SMS, e-mail or the Web—with information then categorized and analyzed using GIS technology. The approach allows users to visualize and gain insight on “hotspots.” The combination of Web GIS capabili- ties and Ushahidi data allowed anyone to view reports of flood incidents, damages, requests for help and response requirements—all in the context of a map. Users can view the density or clusters of multiple events, such as property damage, roads affected and hazards. Background map data and layer options include street maps, satellite imagery, topographic maps and other data. In addition, the data can be visualized through time to understand spatial and temporal trends. “Ushahidi information, combined with ArcGIS, pro- vides a timely and relevant map-based picture,” said Russ Johnson, director of public safety at Esri. “What’s unique about this site is the analytics involved. It’s more than just dots on a map. Esri developed this application to organize a lot of data and provide a better understanding of the data quickly.” The color-coded hotspots illustrate geographic areas where similar requests, statements and issues are clustered. The technique allows government offi- cials and the public to identify problems or issues reported by a number of people in a common area as well as better understand the distribution of reports by category and time. Applications available through an Esri disaster-response portal included a common operational picture for the Brisbane City Council. Post-Tornado Imagery Aids Cleanup in Germany After a tornado swept through the forests in the German state of Saxony in 2010, leaving a 60-mile- long path of destruction, government officials turned to geotechnology to help tackle the cleanup challenges. Immediately after the tornado, state agency Sachsenforst began an aerial survey and orthoimage production process for 600 square kilometers (about 230 square miles) of forest. The raw data included 326 two-kilometer tiles at 20-centimeter resolution, pro- duced in color infrared and true-color RGB formats. Data were mosaicked to be more manageable Simulated flood images gave users in government and the media an idea of the potential impact from recent flooding in eastern Australia. 6 G E O W O R L D / M A R C H 2 O 1 1 and then compressed using ERDAS’ Enhanced Compression Wavelet technology. To optimize access speed and data security, a separate server was set up to distribute disaster data independently of an existing data-management system. Using geotechnology tools and a Sachsenforst data portal, forestry agencies could access the actual orthoimages of the storm damage—a step toward AAM