Oil spill imaging with the BAGI active imager

Technical Report · Sat Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1990

OSTI ID:10149517

Kulp, T J ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

This report describes the results of a series of tests to investigate the feasibility of detecting oil films on water with an infrared (IR) laser active imaging system. The imager that was used in this effort was developed for the US Navy by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) as part of the backscatter absorption gas imaging (BAGI) development project. The gas-imaging system is intended eventually to be deployed on a helicopter, where it will be used to locate remotely the source of gas leaks occurring on stranded oceangoing vessels during Naval salvage operations. In this report, we consider the possibility of using the same imager to locate and track oceanic oil spills. In that application, oil slicks are visualized as a result of the difference between their reflectance at the laser wavelength and that of clean water. Because of the active nature of the imager, it would be especially useful for detecting and tracking oil spills at night. In day or night use, it is expected that the imager would be used in tandem with other oil-soil-detection methods to provide complementary information.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States); Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC (United States). Office of Salvage and Diving
• Sponsoring Organization: Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 10149517
• Report Number(s): UCRL-CR--106319; ON: DE92014791
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
020900
440600
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
ABSORPTION SPECTRA
BACKSCATTERING
CARBON DIOXIDE LASERS
CLOUDS
DETECTION
ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS
GASES
IMAGE PROCESSING
INFRARED RADIATION
LEAKS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
OIL SPILLS
OPTICAL INSTRUMENTATION
REFLECTIVITY