First Steps Towards a Framework for Earth Observation (EO)-Based Seismic Vulnerability Evaluation

Seismic risk depends on both seismic hazard and vulnerability of exposed elements, and in this respect vulnerability is as important as the probability distribution of strong ground shaking from earthquakes in providing the necessary information to policy and decision-makers in order to prevent and mitigate the loss in lives and property. Nowadays, the estimation of vulnerability of buildings is performed mainly relying on accurate, complex models which have to be fed with large amounts of in-situ data and are thus generally capable of covering only a limited geographical scope. This paper describes the first steps towards the construction of a system for producing a zero-level estimation of vulnerability relying in principle on remotely sensed data only in order to untie the evaluation of the seismic vulnerability from the availability of in-situ data, which is extremely scarce and inhomogeneous if one looks at the problem in a global perspective. This is done in the framework of GEOSS (Global Earth Observation System of Systems) and perfectly in line with its objectives as set in the GEOSS 10-year plan.