Lac-Mégantic Disaster Recovery Satellite Imagery Time Series

Open Canada provides optical satellite images documenting recovery work after the July 6, 2013 Lac-Mégantic train explosion. The dataset includes imagery from Pléiades and Kompsat 3A satellites at 50 cm resolution, acquired on multiple dates from July 2013 to October 2014.

Use Cases

• Analyze changes in ground features across the July 13, July 29, and November 4 acquisition dates to track recovery progress.
• Use the 50 cm resolution optical images to create a damage assessment map of the downtown Lac-Mégantic area.
• Train a change detection model on the time series of GEOTIF files to identify stages of field work and reconstruction.
• Develop a PSIR/RIPS-style rapid information product by correlating satellite imagery dates with recovery milestones.

Strengths

• Imagery captured at 50 cm spatial resolution for detailed ground observation.
• Multiple acquisition dates provide a time series from July 2013 to October 2014.
• Data sourced from high-resolution satellite platforms (Pléiades-1A/1B, Kompsat 3A).

Limitations

• Specific image count, file sizes, and precise row/column metadata are unknown.
• The raw description contains repetitive and potentially erroneous date entries requiring verification.
• Limited to optical imagery; lacks other data types like SAR or thermal for a complete damage assessment.

Provenance

Source

Government and Municipalities of Québec, via Open Canada platform.

Collection Method

Satellite imagery acquired from Pléiades and Kompsat 3A platforms for a Canadian Space Agency PSIR/RIPS project.

Time Range

July 2013 to October 2014.

Freshness

null

Geography

Downtown Lac-Mégantic, Québec, Canada, near the site of the July 6, -2013 train accident.