Document Type

Article

Abstract

In disaster response, timely collection and exploitation of remotely sensed imagery is of increasing importance. Image exploitation approaches during the immediate (first few days) aftermath of a disaster are predominantly through visual analysis rather than automated classification methods. While the temporal needs for obtaining the imagery are fairly clear (within a one- to three-day window), there have only been educated guesses about the spatial resolution requirements necessary for the imagery for visual analysis. In this paper, we report results from an empirical study to identify the coarsest spatial resolution that is adequate for tasks required immediately following a major disaster. The study was conducted using cognitive science experimental methods and evaluated the performance of individuals with varying image interpretation skills in the task of mapping hurricane-related residential structural damage. Through this study, we found 1.5 m as a threshold for the coarsest spatial resolution imagery that can successfully be used for this task. The results of the study are discussed in terms of the likelihood of collection of this type of imagery within the temporal window required for emergency management operations. © 2012 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.14358/PERS.78.6.625

Rights

© 2012 American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

APA Citation

Battersby, S. E., Hodgson, M. E., & Wang, J. (2012). Spatial Resolution Imagery Requirements for Identifying Structure Damage in a Hurricane Disaster. Photogrammetric Engineering & Remote Sensing, 78(6), 625–635. https://doi.org/10.14358/PERS.78.6.625

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