IBGE has launched today, on October 22, a web site for the exclusive distribution of images from the Japanese satellite Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) to governmental organizations, research institutes...

IBGE has launched today, on October 22, a web site for the exclusive distribution of images from the Japanese satellite Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) to governmental organizations, research institutes and other non-commercial users in Brazil. The site ( www.ibge.gov.br/alos ) makes available a catalog of images, a description of the sensors and also answers to the most frequently questions asked by users. The launch of the ALOS page on the IBGE web site will be take place during the XXIII Brazilian Congress of Cartography, which will be held in the auditorium of Windsor Barra Hotel, located at 2630, Sernambetiba Avenue, in Barra da Tijuca, Rio de Janeiro.

Japanese satellite casts new light on the country

The ALOS satellite was released by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on January 24, 2006, carrying sensors for global observation, monitoring of disasters, survey of natural resources and cartography. ALOS has a radar sensor (PALSAR) and two optical sensors (AVNIR-2 and PRISM). PALSAR is an advanced radar system used to capture images through microwaves; it can operate 24 hours a day, under any climactic conditions, with resolution of up to 10 meters. One of the uses of this system is the mapping of Amazon, an area in which the coverage by clouds makes it difficult to obtain useful optical images.  During the satellite calibration step, IBGE took active part in the field activities in Amazonia, for the positioning of radar signals reflectors.

AVNIR-2 is capable of obtaining colored images of the planet with resolution of 10 meters and, with a different side inclination, it can rapidly show the occurrence of natural disasters. Its images can be used for the mapping of soil use and coverage, thus allowing environmental monitoring. PRISM generates images in shades of gray, with spatial resolution of 2.5 m and range of up to 70 km. It is formed by a group of 3 sensors which allow the simultaneous obtaining of vertical viewing, with scenes inclined forwards and backwards, thus allowing the acquisition of three-dimensional images along the trajectory.

The extremely low costs of ALOS images allow the acceleration of the country mapping, which has to be constantly updated according to the nation’s social, economic and environmental dynamics and, eventually, lead to a more effective planning of government measures.