Flood Monitoring and Prediction Using Sensor Web

The Sensor Web is an emerging paradigm and technology stack for integration of heterogeneous sensors into common informational infrastructure [1, 2, 3]. The basic functionality required from such infrastructure is remote data access with filtering capabilities, sensors discovery and triggering of events by sensors conditions. The Sensor Web is governed by a set of standards developed by the Open Geospatial Consortium [4].
One of the most challenging problems for the Sensor Web technology implementation is a global ecological monitoring in the framework of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS). Here we consider the problem of flood monitoring and prediction using satellite remote sensing data, in-situ data and results of simulations. The flood monitoring and prediction scenario is being implemented within the GEOSS AIP (Architecture Implementation Pilot, http://www.ogcnetwork.net/AIpilot). It uses precipitation data from the Global Forecasting System (GFS) model and NASA’s Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM, http://trmm.gsfc.nasa.gov) to identify the potential flooded areas. Once the areas have been identified, we can request satellite data for the specific territory for flood assessment. These data can be both optical (like EO-1, MODIS, SPOT etc) and microwave (Envisat, ERS-2, ALOS, Radarsat-1 etc).
The problem of floods monitoring by itself consumes data from many heterogeneous data sources such as remote sensing satellites (we are using data of ASAR, MODIS and MERIS sensors), in-situ observations (water levels, temperature, humidity, etc). Floods prediction is adding the complexity of physical simulation to the task. To couple with the problem the data from different sources (numerical models, remote sensing, in-situ observations) is accessed through Sensor Observation Service (SOS). Aggregator site is running Sensor Alert Service to notify interested organization of possible flood event using different communication mean. Aggregator site is also sending orders to satellite receiving facilities using Sensor Planning Service (SPS) to get satellite imagery only available by preliminary order.
In the presentation we review the state-of-the-art in the Sensor Webs, problems using this technology for floods applications, and current efforts being carried out at the Space Research Institute NASU-NSAU.

References.
1. D. Mandl, S.W. Frye, M.D. Goldberg, S. Habib, S Talabac. Sensor Webs: Where They are Today and What are the Future Needs? In: Proc Second IEEE Workshop on Dependability and Security in Sensor Networks and Systems (DSSNS 2006), pp. 65-70, 2006.
2. K. Moe; S. Smith, G. Prescott, R. Sherwood. Sensor Web Technologies for NASA Earth Science. In: Proc of 2008 IEEE Aerospace Conference, pp. 1-7, 2008.
3. N. Kussul, A. Shelestov, S. Skakun. Grid and sensor web technologies for environmental monitoring. Earth Science Informatics, 2009, Doi 10.1007/s12145-009-0024-9.
4. M. Botts, G. Percivall, C. Reed, J. Davidson OGC Sensor Web Enablement: Overview and High Level Architecture (OGC 07-165), 2007, http://portal.opengeospatial.org/files/?artifact_id=25562.