Multi-source SAR remote sensing data for emergency monitoring to Wenchuan Earthquake damage assessment

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) has significant advantages in disaster monitoring that are all weather, independent of illumination imaging capabilities and strong stereoscopic sense. SAR technology played irreplaceable role in rapid response to Wenchuan Earthquake monitoring and damage assessment. With multi-source and multi-temporal high resolution SAR images, we conduct rapid, systematic and seriate observations regarding to town damage and secondary disaster in Wenchuan Earthquake area. And based on special SAR image characteristics of building damage conditions, distributions and scopes of landslides and dammed lakes, we carried out rapid quantitative evaluation and built corresponding interpretation symbols. The detection reports and achievements are presented to related apartments of country and rescue teams, supplying full and accurate scientific basis about emergency service and disaster relief.