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On 30 October 2020, an earthquake of Mw 6.9 hit the Aegean coasts of Turkey and Greece. The epicentre was some 14 km northeast of Avlakia on Samos Island, and 25 km southwest of Seferihisar, Turkey, triggering also a tsunami. The event has been followed by >4,000 aftershocks up to Mw 5.2 The Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team (EEFIT) has immediately gathered a team to conduct a hybrid reconnaissance study, bringing together remote and field investigation techniques. The mission took place between 16 November and 17 December, inclusive of three sets of field study carried out by the field crews for building damage assessment in the affected areas in Turkey and Greece under the coordination of the remote team. The mission also aimed to assess the viability of alternative data sources for an appraisal of the future viability of hybrid missions. This paper summarises the mission setup and findings, and discusses the benefits of and difficulties encountered during this hybrid reconnaissance activity.

The unique perspectives and viewpoints offered by omnidirectional camera technology has the potential to help improve the outcomes of technical post-earthquake reconnaissance missions. Omnidirectional imagery can be used to virtually “walk through” damaged streets post hoc with a 360°, immersive view. A common reconnaissance mission aim is to accurately collect damage data; however, there are time challenges for surveyors in the field. The manuscript explores the potential for using omnidirectional imagery to improve damage surveying, firstly by comparing results from damage surveys completed in the field with results obtained using omnidirectional images collected during a mission and surveyed by an experienced engineer virtually and secondly by comparing damage assessment obtained through omnidirectional imagery collected on the ground with the EU Copernicus damage assessment maps. The omnidirectional imagery data was collected during two separate Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team post-earthquake reconnaissance missions, namely the area affected by the 2016, 7.8 Muisne Earthquake in Ecuador and the area struck by the 2016, 6.2 Amatrice earthquake in Italy. Notwithstanding the diverse geographic scale, terrain and urban context of the two reconnaissance missions, the results consistently show significant capabilities for this technology in the identification of construction typologies, number of stories, aggregated “low” and “high” damage grades, and failure modes. The work highlights potential issues with correct identification of disaggregated lower damage grades (e.g., European Macroseismic Scale (EMS-98) damage grades 0–3). Challenges identified in the virtual survey process included poor image quality, insufficient photo sphere captures, and obstructions such as trees, walls or vehicles. The omnidirectional imagery represents a substantial improvement in damage assessment accuracy in respect to satellite imagery, especially for lower damage grades, while it is an essential tool for comprehensive surveys in reduced access zones with high levels of damage.