Analysis of Optical Satellite Remote Sensing Ability to Monitor Sea Surface Oil Spill

Abstract

Sea surface oil spill influences the marine ecology frequently, widely and harmfully. Satellite remote sensing has become an important method to monitor sea surface oil spill. Starting from the spectral characteristics of the sea surface oil film, and by corresponding them to the commonly used optical satellite sensors and then comparing and analyzing the main physical parameters of different remote sensing satellites’ spatial resolution, temporal resolution, breadth and number of bands, this paper found that MODIS sensor and HJ-1 satellite had a stronger ability of monitoring sea surface oil spill. Upon this finding, remote sensing of the two oil spill pollution accidents in Bohai in March 2006 and June 2011 was carried out by using the acquired MODIS, BJ-1, HJ-1 and FY-3 optical satellite imageries. The MODIS 1remote sensing imageries showed clearly the oil film information in the two oil spill accidents in 2006 and 2011; the HJ-1 satellite showed clearly the oil film information in the accident in 2011; while the satellite imageries of BJ-1and FY-3 did not show any oil film information. HJ-1, BJ-1 and FY-3 satellites are similar in band settings, but BJ-1 and FY-3 cannot indicate the oil film information. Therefore, this paper further calculated the oil\water optical contrast and seawater optical variance of the MODIS remote sensing imageries in the two oil spill accidents. By comparing and analysing the results, it was found that: when the seawater optical variance is less than the oil\water optical contrast of a certain band of MODIS, the band shows the oil film information; when the oil\water optical contrast is less than or close to the seawater optical variance, the band does not show any sea surface oil film information. From the spectral response, spatial and temporal resolution and the monitoring examples, it is illustrated that MODIS sensor is stronger in its ability to monitor the oil spill at sea. This paper provides a basis for choosing the optical satellites of remote sensing sea surface oil spill.