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In June 2015, the first ever eruption occurred at Mount Hakone in Kanagawa Prefecture. Interferometric analysis based on ALOS-2 images taken before and after the eruption confirmed that an uplift had occurred in an area of approximately 200m around Owakudani, the center of which coincided with the location of the hot spring supply facility where abnormal fumarolic activity occurred in May. As a result, it was determined that the abnormal fumarolic activity was related to surface displacement, and a complete ban on entry to Owakudani was decided. As satellite observations were able to capture displacement at the site of the eruption just before it occurred, advance safety measures were put in place.

(Source: ALOS-4 SOLUTION BOOK (JAXA) )

The L-band SAR, which is also installed on ALOS-4, is less affected by clouds and has the ability to penetrate vegetation. This makes it effective for observing tropical rainforests, which are often covered by clouds. Using the HV polarization of L-band SAR, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of trees, allowing for information on forest distribution and its changes. Furthermore, because the HV polarization contains quantitative information on forests, it is possible to estimate the amount of carbon stored in forests. For this reason, it is expected that ALOS-4 will also be used to monitor deforestation around the world and to make policy decisions to prevent global warming.

(Source: ALOS-4 SOLUTION BOOK (JAXA) )

Currently, road maintenance is mainly carried out by patrols by vehicle or on foot and regular inspections of each structure, but more efficient maintenance is an issue in terms of costs (manpower, time, and expenses). Therefore, the Road Structures Research Department of the National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management and the University of Tokyo used ALOS-2 to verify the applicability of satellite SAR image data by comparing it with data obtained by general-purpose measurement methods in identifying potential risks to roads. The results suggested its effectiveness as a screening tool for detecting deformation over a wide area, covering the amount of road surface subsidence in a series of sections.

(Source: ALOS-4 SOLUTION BOOK (JAXA) )

Heavy rains that began on July 3, 2020, caused by the intensification of the rainy season front and the passage of a small low pressure system, resulted in river flooding and landslides, mainly in Kumamoto Prefecture. Based on a request from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, emergency observations were conducted using the L-band synthetic aperture radar (PALSAR-2) onboard ALOS-2 at approximately 1:13 PM on July 4 and 12:04 AM on July 5 (both Japan time). Flooded areas estimated from the observation data were provided to disaster prevention organizations, including the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

(Source: ALOS Utilization Promotion Project "Daichi-2" emergency observation results for the July 2020 Kyushu heavy rain (JAXA) )

In response to a request from domestic disaster prevention organizations, JAXA conducted emergency observations using the Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR-2) onboard ALOS-2 in response to the magnitude 7.6 earthquake that occurred on the Noto Peninsula at approximately 4:10 p.m. on January 1, 2024. Two satellite images taken before and after the earthquake were colored, and areas where changes had occurred were extracted by overlaying them. Areas where landslides were suspected were discovered, and the data was provided to disaster prevention organizations and used for helicopter surveys, etc.

(Source: Disaster Situation Assessment from Space (JAXA) )