Monitoring the black sea region using satellite earth observation and ground telemetry

Abstract

The Black Sea region is affected by important environmental transformations and EO (Earth Observation) is considered a new way to monitor and, possibly, solve some of its critical issues. The ecological alterations, essentially caused by anthropogenic factors, are the main cause of many transformations such as the ecosystem changes, coastal erosion or pollution that affects water quality. The purpose of this paper is to present the environmental measurements performed with ground telemetry systems near the Black Sea coast in the Danube Delta and the fusion of sensor data with datasets from EO satellite applications. We present the BEIA telemetry system that has been installed and is further being developed for the National Administration “Romanian Waters” (ANAR), an automatic system able to continuously monitor the level and water temperature along the Danube, Danube Delta and some of its tributary rivers. Furthermore, we demonstrate how big data processing software can be used for extracting non-trivial correlations from telemetry and EO data. This paper is a general overview of the results for telemetry and EO integration in the Black Sea and the Danube region and could support ESA (European Space Agency) in defining future investments in EO research and development activities to foster EO innovation in the region.