ERDAS IMAGINE Reveals Damage in South Ossetian

Recently, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) released high-resolution satellite imagery to communicate the changes in South Ossetian following the clash between Georgia, South Ossetian separatists and Russia. The satellite images, processed and classified by ERDAS IMAGINE, reveal that 424 civilian structures near Tskhinvali were damaged by 19th August. These same structures appeared to be intact in images taken on 10th August and earlier.

The AAAS is an international non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing science around the world by serving as an educator, leader, spokesperson and professional association. Founded in 1848, the AAAS fulfills its mission to advance science and serve society through initiatives in policy, international programs and education.

ERDAS IMAGINE is a remote sensing solution, providing tools to create, manage and analyse imagery to increase the value of your geospatial information. ERDAS IMAGINE combines remotes sensing and GIS capabilities, enabling the creation of geospatial data, extracting information and updating existing GIS data. ERDAS IMAGINE simplifies classification, orthorectification, mosaicking, reprojection and image interpretation, while maintaining the integrity of the geospatial data for updating a GIS in multiple formats, including ESRI Geodatabase and Oracle 10g.

The image analysis, completed by the AAAS Science and Human Rights Program at the request of Amnesty International USA shows a total of 626 points of destruction affecting civilians. Encompassing 1,000 square kilometers, the AAAS study examined damage to 24 villages near the city of Tskhinvali in South Ossetia, close to the Georgia-Russia border.

The development of the conflict involving Georgia, South Ossetian separatists and Russia remains the subject of intense dispute.