Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Mission

Development of methodologies and technologies for acquisition, processing,

fusion and interpretation of images and data obtained by electromagnetic

sensors operating on satellite, aircraft and in situ, aimed at monitoring

environment and territory, at non-invasive diagnostic and at evaluation of

electromagnetic risk.

Founded in 2001, in few years IREA has reached a level of excellence that

ranks it among the top 20 institutes of CNR, as emerged from the last

evaluation process of CNR institutes carried out in 2010.

Introduction

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Sites

Sirmione (BS)Experimental Station

NapoliHeadquarters

MilanoSupport Unit

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Permanent staff

Training personnel

Visiting scientists 5

Research grant holders 24Scholarship holders 4PhD students 6Total 34

Researchers and Technologists 34

Technicians 4

Amministrative staff 3

Total 41

Staff

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Budget

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Position in the reserach scenario

• Projects EU-FP7, ESA, ASI, etc.

• Centre of Competence of the Italian Civil Protection for satellite

monitoring of Earth surface deformation

• Collaborations with many universities and research centers, national

and international organizations and companies.

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

- Microwave remote sensing

- Optical remote sensing

- Electromagnetic diagnostics

- Geographic Information Systems

- Bioelectromagnetics

IREA is also involved in projects of public communication of science and

science education

Research lines

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Microwave

remote sensing

Research lines

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

• Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) for analysis of deformation of single events

• Multipass DInSAR: SBAS technique for generation of accurate velocity maps and time series of deformations

• Multi-Dimensional SAR Imaging

• Airborne SAR interferometry techniques

Social and industrial fallouts:

Monitoring of natural hazards volcanoes

earthquakeslandslides

Securitymonitoring of infrastructures and urban areas

Skills: Signal and image processing Electromagnetism Informatics Geophysics

Main interactions

Scientific institutions: JPL, DLR, INGV,Universities (Napoli, Roma, Pisa …)

Other institutions: ESA, ASI, Companies: Telespazio, Carlo Gavazzi Space,

Advanced Computer Systems End Users: Civil Protection, Local Administrations

Main Activities

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

Measure the Earth's surface deformations

Applications to the study of:• Volcanic phenomena• Seismic events• Landslides• Deformation of single structures (buildings)Surface deformation caused by the Emilia Romagna (Italy)

earthquake sequence (29/05/12) retrieved via DInSAR

• Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) for analysis of deformation of single events

• Multipass DInSAR: SBAS technique for generation of accurate velocity maps and time series of deformations

• Multi-Dimensional SAR Imaging

• Airborne SAR interferometry techniques

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

Measure the temporal evolution of deformations

• Algorithm developed totally at IREA (SBAS)

• Products: maps and time series of deformation

• Usability of results through WEBGIS technology

SBAS DInSAR results relevant to the Napoli area

• Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) for analysis of deformation of single events

• Multipass DInSAR: SBAS technique for generation of accurate velocity maps and time series of deformations

• Multi-Dimensional SAR Imaging

• Airborne SAR interferometry techniques

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

Example of 3D reconstruction of Mirage Hotel in Las-Vegas from data TerraSAR-X at 1m spatial

resolution

Transition from 2D to 3D through the coherent combination of images acquired on different orbits

Enables to trace and monitor in particular structures and buildings

Technique awarded by the IEEE Society in July 2011

• Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) for analysis of deformation of single events

• Multipass DInSAR: SBAS technique for generation of accurate velocity maps and time series of deformations

• Multi-Dimensional SAR Imaging

• Airborne SAR interferometry techniques

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

From left: DInSAR analysis using data acquired from aircraft - Telaer Airborne SAR System - Comparison between SAR DEM SRTM and aircraft SAR DEM

Airborne DInSAR analysis

SRTM DEM Airborne DEM

(res.90 m) (res. 2,5 m)

Applications• generation of accurate Digital Elevation Models (DEM)• monitoring of environmental risks

Advantages•high operational flexibility

IREA manages the interferometric upgrading (funded by CNR) of the  airborne SAR system TELAER: the first test flights are expected in September 2012.

• Differential SAR Interferometry (DInSAR) for analysis of deformation of single events

• Multipass DInSAR: SBAS technique for generation of accurate velocity maps and time series of deformations

• Multi-Dimensional SAR Imaging

• Airborne SAR interferometry techniques

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main infrastructures

Cluster for remote sensing data processing

designed and built at IREA

128 processing units (cores)

512 GB of RAM

about 90 TB available disk space

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Optical

Remote Sensing

Research lines

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

Main fallouts: Methods of analysis of time series for the RICs

in Africa (GeoLand1-2, FP6 & FP7) Distributed phenological information for

agronomic modeling (IRRI) Multiannual database of fires in the National

Parks (Ministry of Environment) Mapping water quality and toxic algae bloom

(ARPA e ISPRA)

Skills: Advanced techniques for the creation of

thematic maps of the area Modeling of radiative transfer Definition of integrated indicators for the

characterization the state of the environment Methodologies and tools for in situ

acquisition of spectroradiometric measurements

Main interactions:

Scientific institutions: IES-JRC, CSIRO, IRRI Universities: PoliMi, Milano Bicocca,

Parma, Leicester, Maryland Other institutions: ESA, ASI Companies : Carlo Gavazzi Space, BLOM-CGR,

EXELIS, SarMap End Users: Ministry of Environment, ISPRA,

Local Administrations, ENI spa

• Automatic Interpretation of Images• Modeling and retrieval of bio-geophysical parameters• Monitoring of the environment• Proximal sensing and Cal/Val activities

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

Croatia - Burned Area Map (Landsat-5 TM, 04 Sep 2003, RGB: 543)

Automatic generation of burned area maps by fuzzy integration of spectral indice sets able to exploit the bipolar information of positive and negative evidences

• Automatic Interpretation of Images• Modeling and retrieval of bio-geophysical parameters• Monitoring of the environment• Proximal sensing and Cal/Val activities

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Main Activities

Maps of water quality parameters(chl-a, suspended solids, yellow substance)

•Monitoring of inland and coastal water quality

•Monitoring of natural / agricultural ecosystems health status by interpreting the signal recorded by satellite in physical measurements

• Automatic Interpretation of Images• Modeling and retrieval of bio-geophysical parameters• Monitoring of the environment• Proximal sensing and Cal/Val activities

Institute for electromagnetic sensing of the environment

Optical-electronic laboratory collection center for the scientific instrumentation to be used in calibration / validation activities related to remote sensing data processing

optical bench to be used for laboratory measurements

Experimental Station “Eugenio Zilioli”

LTER sampling station (Long Term Ecological Research), an international Network which brings together 39 countries on five continents on issues of ecological research.

Houses the Environmental Unit of the Municipality of Sirmione (CRA) promoting divulgation activities in the field of remote sensing of the environment

Equipped with:Teaching laboratory for analysis on waterBoat for periodic measurements on the lake

Main infrastructures