Worldwide disaster warning and assessment with earth resources technology satellites

FLOODS, FIRE, GLACIER MOVEMENT, AND DROUGHT ARE THE DISASTERS MOST AMENABLE TO SATELLITE SENSING AND ANALYSIS. OTHER DISASTERS TO WHICH APPLICATIONS ARE PROMISING, BUT NOT YET COMPLETELY FEASIBLE ARE EARTHQUAKES, VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS, CROP FAILURES, AND WATER POLLUTION. PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF SATELLITE IMAGES TO DISASTER ASSESSMENT REQUIRES THE CONTINUED AND RELIABLE OPERATION OF SATELLITES AND DATA RECEPTION STATIONS, RAPID DISTRIBUTION OF DATA TO INTERPRETIVE TEAMS AND TO AFFECTED COUNTRIES, AND THE RAPID ANALYSIS AND DISSEMINATION OF MAPS AND OTHER RESULTS.