Abstract
Remote sensing techniques currently used to detect oil spills have not yet demonstrated their applicability to dispersed forms of oil. However, oil droplets dispersed in seawater are known to modify the local optical properties and, consequently, the upwelling light flux. Theoretically possible, passive remote detection of oil droplets was never tested in the offshore conditions. This study presents a field experiment which demonstrates the capability of commercially available sensors to detect significant changes in the remote sensing reflectance Rrs of seawater polluted by six types of dispersed oils (two crude oils, cylinder lubricant, biodiesel, and two marine gear lubricants). The experiment was based on the comparison of the upwelling radiance Lu measured in a transparent tank floating in full immersion in seawater in the Southern Baltic Sea. The tank was first filled with natural seawater and then polluted by dispersed oils in five consecutive concentrations of 1–15 ppm. After addition of dispersed oils, spectra of Rrs noticeably increased and the maximal increase varied from 40% to over three-fold at the highest oil droplet concentration. Moreover, the most affected Rrs band ratios and band differences were analyzed and are discussed in the context of future construction of algorithms for dispersed oil detection.
Highlights
IntroductionThe fates of oil spilled on the sea surface or leaking from underwater sources continue to be an ongoing topic of investigation and monitoring due to the extent environmental consequences of such events
We show that Lu (λ) is sensitive to subtle changes caused by 1–15 parts per million pollution of six types of oils: two crude oils, two marine gear lubricant oils, a cylinder oil, and a biodiesel
We observed a significant increase of the upwelling signal, especially clearly visible for high oil droplet concentrations of 10–15 ppm
Summary
The fates of oil spilled on the sea surface or leaking from underwater sources continue to be an ongoing topic of investigation and monitoring due to the extent environmental consequences of such events. Development of the models and methods for oil spill detection, as well as cleanup techniques, has led to a significant decrease of deliberate discharges. Even statistically less numerous, and of smaller volume, oil spills continue to occur, and destructively affect the local and global environment, to name only a few: marine and near-shore fauna [3,4,5], marine flora [6], human health [7], and the seashore activities [8,9]
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