Using the Grid for Satellite Imagery with UNOSAT

This paper describes work which investigates how the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) Computing Grid (LCG) can be used to upload, store, compress and download satellite image data files on behalf of the United Nations Organization UNOSAT. Mechanisms for satellite image upload, storage and download are outlined. LCG computational resources are exercised by a JPEG2000 compression framework that transforms UNOSAT’s original GeoTiff images to JPEG2000 ECW files. It is shown how the availability of these functions will aid humanitarian relief efforts by enabling UNOSAT to vastly increase its portfolio of satellite images and to supply images to fieldworkers much more rapidly through precompressed files. Importantly, these benefits arise through zero financial cost to UNOSAT.