Integrated Space-Air-Ground Early Detection, Monitoring and Warning System for Potential Catastrophic Geohazards

In China, traditional methodology on early detection of natural terrain to landslides is challenging as zones most prone to slope failure are usually inaccessible due to high location and dense vegetation. This can lead to underestimation of potential landslide events to the degree of wrongly identifying unstable areas as stable. This paper provides a solution for these cases by proposing an integrated space-air-ground investigation system that allows for the early detection, real-time prediction, and warning of catastrophic geohazards. Firstly, high-resolution optical images and interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) data from satellites are employed to obtain a global panorama of a region, highlighting these problematic locations; yet results are detailed enough to provide reliable estimates of deformations at particular points along time spans of days and weeks. As consequence, it makes the compilation of long displacement time-histories feasible, contributing to the understanding of long-term landslide-driving phenomena in regions where it has been underestimated. This is called the general investigation. Then, detailed assessments can be done through the deve-lopment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) for elaborating high-resolution relief maps and photogrammetric representations based on both visual images and light laser detection and ranging (LiDAR) data. The system finally allows for precise tagging of locations that warrant real-time site monitoring of displacements using global navigation satellite system (GNSS) and crack gauges, validating expecting behavior of these critical, but previously hidden hazardous locations. The overall approach makes it possible to establish a four-level comprehensive early warning system, which meets the urgent needs of the country and promotes a practical and operational application of such system in the field of geohazard prevention. © 2019, Research and Development Office of Wuhan University. All right reserved.