[FPSPACE] FW: [JAXA:0130]Observation Results of the "Daichi" relating to the Niigata Chuetsu Offshore Earthquak

[LARRY KLAES]

>From: "JAXA Press Release Mail Service" <jaxapr at jaxa.jp>
>To: ljk4 at msn.com
>Subject: [JAXA:0130]Observation Results of the "Daichi" relating to the 
>Niigata Chuetsu Offshore Earthquak
>Date: Mon, 23 Jul 2007 14:21:58 +0900
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------
>                      ***  JAXA MAIL SERVICE  ***
>                  Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency
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>       Observation Results of the Advanced Land Observing Satellite
>   'Daichi' (ALOS) relating to the Niigata Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake
>
>                                                    July 20, 2007 (JST)
>                              Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
>
>A huge earthquake occurred off Jyo-chuetsu, Niigata Prefecture
>(60 kilometers south-west of the city of Niigata), at about a depth
>of 17 kilometers at 10:13 a.m. on July 16, 2007 Japan Standard Time
>(All the following dates and times in this release are Japan Standard
>Time.) The earthquake was named the "2007 Niigata-ken Chuetsu
>Offshore Earthquake." The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
>analyzed observation images acquired by the Advanced Land Observing
>Satellite "Daichi" (ALOS) on July 19 and confirmed the pattern of
>diastrophism.
>
>[Figure 1] shows diastrophism by processing the image data [Figure 2]
>taken by one of the Daichi onboard sensors, the PALSAR*1, at 10:13
>a.m. on July 19, 2007, and one also taken by the PALSAR on January 16,
>2007 using the differential interferometric method*2. The change in
>the distance between the Daichi and the Earth in about six months
>between Jan. 16 and July 19 is indicated by the two-dimensional colors
>in the image. We observed that the distance has been shortened (or got
>closer) by about 30 centimeters (maximum) in the land area at the
>immediate east of the epicenter. This means diastrophism, including a
>rise, took place there. Further south from that area, the distance
>between the satellite and the Earth increased by 15 cm. This indicates
>diastrophism, including a subsidence, occurred there.
>
>*1 PALSAR: Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, is a
>    microwave sensor receiving radio wave reflections transmitted from
>    the satellite. It can acquire image data regardless of the weather
>    and time of day.
>
>*2 Differential interferometric process: Radars measure the distance
>    to the Earth; therefore, we can find a rise or a cave-in caused by
>    a subsidence of the land by the difference in distance between two
>    observations.
>
>[Figure 1] Diastrophism in Chuetsu Region, Niigata
>[How to Look at Diastrophism Image]
>[Figure 2] Image of Chuetsu Region, Nigata, Observed by the PALSAR on
>            July 19
>http://www.jaxa.jp/press/2007/07/20070720_daichi_e.html#at01
>
>
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