Marine oil spill detection using Synthetic Aperture Radar over Indian Ocean

Abstract

Four oil spill events over the Indian Ocean including Chennai, Sharjah, Al Khiran and Mubarak Village are analyzed using Sentinel-1 satellite data. General National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME) model is utilized for oil spills trajectory production, whereas oil spills weathering processes are modeled using Automated Data Inquiry for Oil Spill (ADIOS). Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) based oil spill detection technique provided reliable results at the wind speed between 3 to 9 m/s for all events. Maximum oil spill movement (33 km) from the source point is observed in the Al Khiran, whereas evaporation rate of crude (degraded) oil is observed as high (low). The Near Real Time (NRT) detection of oil spill using SAR imagery needs high computational power, however, provides better results. This study concludes that SAR based oil spill detection is a cost-effective technique and can be utilized for mapping of oil spills.

Keywords: Indian Ocean; Oil spill detection; Oil spills trajectory; Oil spills weathering; Sentinel; Synthetic Aperture Radar.