Utility of Thermal-Infrared Spectral Imaging for Assessment of Environmental Hazards in Post-Disaster Scenarios

David M. Tratt, Kerry N. Buckland, and George J. Scherer

Following any disaster of significant magnitude, whether naturally induced (hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding, etc.) or as a result of deliberate/inadvertent human action (major terrorist attacks, wartime actions, petrochemical plant accidents, etc.), recovery from the immediate effects of the event is often hampered or compromised by an array of less obvious hazards that may not be readily apparent to first responders or the affected population at large. We will discuss how airborne hyperspectral thermal-infrared (TIR) imaging provides flexible and unique capabilities for the identification and monitoring of environmental hazards in such post-disaster scenarios. The systematic integration of TIR spectral imaging techniques into post-disaster management activities would directly enhance disaster relief efforts in the wake of such events. We will also discuss roadmap activities for transitioning these capabilities to Earth-orbiting vantage points, where persistence and coverage stand to make the greatest contribution toward minimizing the humanitarian and environmental impacts of natural and man-made disasters.