Review of oil spill remote sensing
- Environment Canada, Ontario (Canada)
Remote-sensors for application to oil spills are reviewed. The capability of sensors to detect oil and to discriminate oil from background targets is the most important assessment criterion. A common sensor is an infrared camera or an IR/UV system. This sensor class can detect oil under a variety of conditions, discriminate oil from some backgrounds and has the lowest cost of any sensor. The inherent weaknesses include the inability to discriminate oil on beaches, among weeds or debris and under certain lighting conditions oil is not detected. The laser fluorosensor is recommended because of its unique capability to identify oil on most backgrounds. Radar, although low in priority for purchase, offers the only potential for large area searches and foul weather remote sensing. Radar is costly and requires a dedicated aircraft. Radar is prone to many interferences. Equipment operating in the visible spectrum, such as a camera or scanner, is useful for documentation or providing a basis for the overlay of other data. It is not useful beyond this, because oil shows no spectral characteristics in the visible region.
- OSTI ID:
- 478358
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-961119-; TRN: 97:002641-0018
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Eco-informa `96: global networks for environmental information, Lake Buena Vista, FL (United States), 4-7 Nov 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of Eco-Informa `96 - global networks for environmental information. Volume 10 and 11; PB: 1103 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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