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