Appraisal of Opportunities and Perspectives for the Systematic Condition Assessment of Heritage Sites with Copernicus Sentinel-2 High-Resolution Multispectral Imagery

Copernicus Sentinel-2 high-resolution multispectral imagery (10 m resolution) demonstrates significant potential for systematic condition assessment of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, enabling accurate detection and tracking of changes in textural properties and surface reflectance linked to conservation-relevant events. The study highlights its capability to identify single local incidents—such as wall collapses in Aleppo’s Old City—and map recurrent threats like archaeological looting in Apamea (Syria) through long-term image time series analysis. Leveraging Sentinel-2’s 5-day revisiting frequency and 290 km swath, researchers also mapped urban sprawl across Cyrene (Libya) and coastal Greek sites, offering a scalable approach for multi-temporal heritage monitoring. Validation with very high-resolution imagery underscores its utility in pre-launch trend analysis, positioning Sentinel-2 as a transformative tool for large-scale, comparative assessments when paired with advanced machine learning techniques.

Tapete, D., & Cigna, F. (2018). Appraisal of Opportunities and Perspectives for the Systematic Condition Assessment of Heritage Sites with Copernicus Sentinel-2 High-Resolution Multispectral Imagery. Remote Sensing, 10(4), 561. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10040561