GREENBELT, Md., May 24 (UPI) -- NASA scientists in Maryland say advanced Earth-observing satellites will provide a method for early detection of floods and landslides.
Scientists say the disaster monitoring and early-warning project will link satellite observations of soil type, vegetation and land slope with observations of rainfall, rivers and topography.
"Flood and landslides are the most widespread natural hazards on Earth, responsible for thousands of deaths and billions of dollars in property damage every year," said Bob Adler, project scientist for the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. "Currently, no system exists at either a regional or a global scale to monitor rainfall conditions that may trigger these disasters."
Yang Hong, a Goddard research scientist and lead author of one of the projects, said the use of space as a vantage point will enable officials to apply satellite information to save lives around the world.
The new satellite observations might offer a practical solution to the challenge of creating cost-effective early warning systems particularly needed in data scarce, rural areas, NASA said.
