A Review of Current Global Oil Spill Surveillance, Monitoring and Remote Sensing Capabilities

摘要

Numerous coastal nations are actively engaged in the surveillance, monitoring and remote sensing of spilled oil. Surveillance and monitoring activities generally focus on the search for the discharges from vessels, pipelines and drilling platforms. In the past decade this activity has become the realm of satellite sensors, primarily radar satellites such as ENVISAT and RADARSAT-1. Several maritime nations supplement this space borne activity with airborne reconnaissance missions. Remote sensing operations are generally restricted to emergency response activities following a major marine oil spill. Due to the dynamic nature of major spills on the open ocean, airborne remote sensing systems dominate in emergency response. The flexibility available in terms of deployment times and sensor selection associated with airborne operations is invaluable in an emergency response. In major spill situations, satellite sensors (particularly radar sensors) are being used to provide a synoptic view of the overall area affected by the spill. Recent advances in the number of, and the capabilities of these space borne sensors have improved their utility for use in spill situations.rnTo the extent possible, this paper will provide an updated global summary of the activities associated with the maritime surveillance, monitoring and remote sensing of spilled oil. Details of several of the airborne and space-borne systems employed around the globe will be presented.