NASA Earth observations help geologists and decision makers understand the movement of the Earth, monitor risk and vulnerability of populations, and assess impacts when an event does happen. This toolkit is designed to support research into earthquake and volcano-related disasters by providing easy access to relevant data and other resources
Socioeconomic Impacts | Volcanic Aerosols | Ground Displacement | Disaster Response
Discover and Visualize Data
Socioeconomic Impacts From Hazards
Socioeconomic data help assess the exposure and vulnerability of a community to a disaster. Exposure is the presence of people, ecosystems, and infrastructure in places that could be adversely affected by a disaster. Vulnerability is the propensity to be adversely affected by a disaster.
Earthquake Hazards
- Discover Earthquake-related Data in Earthdata Search
- Earthquake Data at NASA's Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)
- Hazards Mapper at SEDAC
Volcano Hazards
- Discover Volcano-related Data in Earthdata Search
- Visualize Volcano Hazard Data in NASA Worldview
- Volcano Hazard Data at SEDAC
Population
- Discover Population Data in Earthdata Search
- Visualize Population Data in NASA Worldview
- Estimate Population in User-Defined Area
- Population Data at SEDAC
- POPGRID Mapping Tool
- Hazards and Population Mapper App at SEDAC
Webinars
- Gridded Population and Settlement Data: An An Introduction to the POPGRID Data
- GNSS Radio Occultation Science and Applications
- Mapping Global Urbanization from Landsat Data and High-Resolution Reference Data
Data Tutorials/Recipes
Volcanic Aerosols
The dispersal of aerosols such as sulfur dioxide preceding and during a volcanic event can have not only an immediate but also a long-term effect on the atmosphere. Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) can create pollutants that aggravate respiratory conditions in humans. Depending on the scale of the event, It can also change global temperatures for a period of time.
Sulfur Dioxide
- Discover SO2 Data at Earthdata Search
- Visualize SO2 Data in NASA Worldview
- SO2 Data at NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC)
- SO2 Data in Giovanni
- SO2 Data at NASA's Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) [search for SO2]
Webinars
Data Tutorials/Recipes
- How to Subset Level 2 OMI SO2 Data
- Using the GES DISC Level 3/4 Regridder and Subsetter for OMI Products
Ground Displacement
There are several ways to measure movement of the ground due to an earthquake. The Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) is a network of satellites providing positioning and timing to ground receivers, which provide a fairly precise measure of any movement. Additionally, Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) combines images from two different dates, one before the event and one after the event, to assess the amount of deformation from ground movement, whether from a fault rupture or a volcanic bulge, collapse, or lava flow.
Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS)
- Discover GNSS Data in Earthdata Search
- GNSS Data at NASA's Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS)
Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)
- Discover SAR Data with Earthdata Search
- SAR Data at NASA's Alaska Satellite Facility DAAC (ASF DAAC)
- Sentinel-1 InSAR Data at ASF DAAC
- Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle SAR (UAVSAR) InSAR Data at ASF DAAC
- UAVSAR KMZ Files at ASF DAAC
Webinars
Data Tutorials/Recipes
Disaster Response
Many different types of NASA Earth observations can be used to provide disaster management personnel and first responders with relevant up-to-date data, often near real-time, to help in the management of recovery efforts.
Land Surface Reflectance
- Discover Land Surface Reflectance Data in Earthdata Search
- Visualize Land Surface Reflectance in NASA Worldview
- Surface Reflectance Data at NASA's Land Processes DAAC (LP DAAC)
Land Surface Temperature
Active Fires and Thermal Anomalies
- Discover Active Fire and Thermal Anomalies in Earthdata Search
- Visualize Active Fire and Thermal Anomalies in NASA Worldview
- Visualize Active Fire and Thermal Anomalies in the Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS)
- Active Fire and Thermal Anomalies at LP DAAC
Power Outages using Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) Day/Night Band
- Discover VIIRS Day/Night Band in Earthdata Search
- Visualize VIIRS Nighttime imagery in NASA Worldview
- Black Marble at NASA's Level-1 and Atmosphere Archive and Distribution System DAAC (LAADS DAAC)
- Black Marble Imagery in NASA Worldview
Webinars
Data Tutorials/Recipes
- Getting Started with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Thermal Anomalies and Fire Data: All About Accessing Data
- Getting Started with MODIS Thermal Anomalies and Fire Data: Interpreting Quality Information
- Getting Started with MODIS Thermal Anomalies and Fire Data: Using the Data
- Learn about Satellite Detections of Fire in Worldview
- Tutorials/Recipes for LP DAAC Data
- Data Prep Scripts in R and Python at LP DAAC
- Monitoring Volcanoes Using ASTER Satellite Imagery
- 18 Years of Volcanic Eruptions: Mount Nyiragongo, Democratic Republic of the Congo