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f Geophysical And Remote Sensing Techniques For Detection And Measurement Of Oil Slicks On Water
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 3rd EEGS Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems, Mar 1990, cp-212-00006
Abstract
A variety of remote sensing techniques are able to detect oil slicks on<br>water, including side-looking radar, passive microwave radiometers,<br>ultraviolet-infrared line scanners, laser fluorosensors and various visual<br>sensors. Each technique keys on some property of the oil which differs<br>from that of the open ocean (such as emissivity) or on some property of<br>the ocean which is altered by the presence of oil (such as the surface<br>roughness). Combinations of one or more of these sensors have been<br>installed on various aircraft and are in routine use around the world.<br>They are generally able to detect and map oil slicks reliably under most<br>weather conditions.<br>A more difficult problem is measurement of the thickness of an oil slick,<br>which can range over six orders of magnitude from less than a micrometre<br>to ten centimetres. The thickness of a spill varies spatially and over<br>time as a slick spreads. Clearly knowledge of the thickness is required<br>to estimate oil volumes and thereby plan efficient countermeasures.