One of the most significant benefits of using BlackSky is that the platform provides timely and relevant information and insights about our world so you can make better informed decisions. Never is this more critical than when natural disasters occur.
As you may know, BlackSky brings together this timely and relevant information in the form of satellite images across every spectrum, including radar and multi-spectral sources. In addition, we offer several curated event feeds and monitoring services that drive value-added insights. We collect data from traditional news media, social media and physical sensor networks, and correlate it by time, space and theme. Using machine learning techniques, the platform ranks the data making it easier to identify and prioritize the most significant events.
BlackSky’s current monitoring services include content regarding Conflicts, Energy, Refugees, Outbreaks, and a wide variety of Natural Disasters, including hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, floods, volcanoes, tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes.
A closer look at the BlackSky earthquake monitoring service:
The earthquake feed pulls near real-time sensor data directly from a seismic device network by the USGS, called the Global Seismographic Network. This open-source earthquake data is then enhanced by:
- Immediate, one-stop access to other nearby hits (images, asset information such as airport or port capabilities for relief, city size for risk assessment, as well as social media posts from the area)
- An intuitive, easy-to-use interface
- Easily accessible listings of archived satellite images of the area, plus ability to task satellite via the platform
- An expansive series of basemaps providing reference data for ground conditions
- Ability to quickly share findings with other users
A week or so ago, we received an alert for a major earthquake in the Surigao del Norte province of the Philippines. As a side note, in the screenshot above you can see the earthquake happened in an area of the Philippines where there has been a lot of fighting with Islamic and Maoist rebels. Now there’s a temporary cease-fire while humanitarian aid flows to the earthquake victims. BlackSky also alerted us of this situation via our Conflict and Refugee event feeds…adding more context and insight for those involved.
When you get critical, meaningful information like this delivered to you in near real time, you can make better decisions — about relief efforts and more.
Until next time,
Scott