COLLECTING, ANALYZING AND SHARING LARGE VOLUMES OF DIGITAL PHOTOS DURING GEOLOGICAL DISASTERS: METHODS DEVELOPED FROM LANDSLIDE RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS FOLLOWING THE JANUARY 2009 STORM IN WESTERN WASHINGTON STATE

During regional geological disasters, quickly assessing and sharing information regarding damage is imperative. This can be done inexpensively using a digital camera, handheld GPS and software to automatically geotag photos. Geotagging is the process of adding geographical information to photos. The information consists of latitude, longitude, and optional attributes like altitude, place names or descriptions. Geotagging uses the time from the camera (when the photo was taken) and matches it to the location of the GPS unit at that time. After geotagging, the photos can be automatically located and displayed in a Keyhole Markup Language zip (.kmz) file format, which displays the photos, descriptions and their geographic location on web-based GIS browsing tools like Google Earth.

The January 2009, rain-on-snow event in Washington State caused widespread landslide damage across western Washington. The Washington Division of Geology and Earth Resources (DGER) provided local jurisdictions with geologic expertise and assistance assessing landslide damage. DGER geologists documented landslide damage from fixed-wing aircraft using digital cameras and a handheld GPS unit. Following the flights, the photos were downloaded, geotagged and shared in Google Earth files. The files were then used to digitize the landslides in ArcGIS for further analysis.

By geotagging photos, vital information about geological disasters can be shared quickly with emergency managers, media, geological consultants and the public. Similar methods should be employed during future geological events and be a part of emergency management training exercises for the geological community.