Key technologies for system research and development

• Research and development on the sandstorm monitoring and short-term early warming approach and its operational system;
• Research and development on the assessment approach for the disaster of sandstorm and its vocational operation system;
• The integration and test run of the sandstorm monitoring and disaster assessment system;
• Study on the formation of the sandstorm and its dangerous degree.

The design for the sandstorm monitoring and disaster assessment system

Technical scheme for the system
Taken the high-tech of modern geo-science, environmental remote sensing and remote telemetry, information science, systematic science and the computer technique as the technical means, based on the study of the environmental and meteorological factors of the happening and expanding of the sandstorm, especially, the cloud image of the sandstorm, it had worked out the criteria of the sandstorm grading, established the weather model of sandstorm. and in combination of the analysis of the weather process and the results of numerical forecast, it had in early monitoring on the satellite cloud image detected the sandstorm and forecast the happening and expanding of the sandstorm, built the GIS data base of the land coverage and socio-environmental background for frequently-occurring areas of sandstorm. Based on the study of the disaster behavior of the sandstorm, it had prepared the indicators for the assessment of the sandstorm. Through the satellite cloud image procuring the information of geographic scope and the strength of the sandstorm, and thereby conducting a real time assessment for the disaster and the losses caused by the sandstorm, and providing information to the command departments of disaster-relief and fighting against the calamities at all levels for reference in the process of decision-making.

The major targets of the system

• It should have the ability of early warning and implementing monitoring before the formation or in the early stage of the sandstorm disaster is formed;
• It should have the ability of timely providing the information of the happening and expanding of the sandstorm;
• It should have the ability of display the sandstorm affected scope by chart and the skill of cartographic output;
• It should also come to the prompt disaster assessment and with related information provide to the disaster relief and fight against the calamities departments. Submitting the report of the scope of the frequently-occurred areas of the sandstorm.

Major features of the system
Application of the High-tech: early warning( based on the model of weather forecast for the sandstorm, deciding the possibility of occurrence of the sandstorm, and tracing monitoring of its developing process); high-speed ( it can made a quick response after several hours of the disaster is occurred and come to an initial conclusion); flexibility ( it can operate around the clock and all the weather in any places); accuracy and reliability (positioning, quantifying, qualitative); integration (integrating the RS, GIS and computer network technique as a whole ). The system has the following characteristics:

• Having a series of high-tech of remote sensing, GIS, computer network organically integrates with the ground observation and comprehensive application;
• Remote sensing, GIS and integration technique depend on each other and constitute a complete monitoring system;
• Applied computer technique and network technique have greatly promoted information transmission and its automatically, and can quickly conduct monitoring and assessment to the suddenly disaster of sandstorm.

The sandstorm monitoring and disaster assessment operational system has the features of multiple subsystem, multiple data structure, multiple information sources and multiple time phase data. The system is using ARC/INFO as the support platform for sandstorm monitoring and disaster assessment operational system. Furthermore, it also use ARC/INFO,GIS system linking all subsystem together. The system of satellite remote sensing monitoring for sandstorm and disaster assessment is composed of three subsystems, they are: the subsystem of meteorological and environmental background information analyzing and processing as well as the monitoring and early warning; the subsystem of information processing of the satellite cloud image and the information abstraction of sandstorm, together with the subsystem of the disaster assessment of sandstorm. The related information flow design for the system operation and the monitoring of sandstorm happening together with the disaster assessment is shown as the chart below:
Flow Chart of Information & the System Operation