High resolution COSMO - SkyMed SAR images for oil spills automatic detection

Abstract

In recent decades SAR images have extensively been used for the observation and the characterization of the sea surface. A number of experiments have been carried out with airborne and spaceborne sensors. These show SAR's ability of detecting oil slicks and distinguishing them from similar oceanic features. A great amount of archived data is available in many spectral bands. In spite of this, nowadays C-band is the most widely used for the observation of the sea from a satellite. For this reason, in the last year we have developed OSAD (Oil Spill Automatic Detector), a system focusing on C-band. The availability of high resolution X-band images (supplied by COSMO-SkyMed satellites and managed by the Italian Space Agency) has encouraged further investigation aimed at extending the scope of this methodology to X band images with the final goal of employing it for detecting oil spills. X-SAR data (obtained from airplane multi-band experiments and from SIR-C X-SAR mission carried out by NASA's space shuttle in 1994) are analyzed in order to compare SAR images in different bands and spot locations contaminated by an oil slick. The COSMOSkyMed constellation (supplying high spatial and temporal coverage of the Mediterranean basin) makes it possible to develop an operational oil spill survey system, particularly in protected areas and areas close to the coast.

Computational Techniques of Oil Spill Detection in Synthetic Aperture Radar Data: Review Cases

“…The light weigh oil is highly toxic but it gets evaporated quickly, whereas heavy weigh oil is less toxic but persists in the environment for a longer time. The heavy weigh oil can get mixed with pebbles and sandy beaches where they may remain for many years [13].…”

An Ontology-based approach to environmental signature detection: the vessel tracking case study

“…When the spillage affects large regions [24] the produced environmental signature can be detected from satellite image even at the medium resolution of lkm. Minor oil slicks however require more spatial resolution to be observed often employing SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) [23]. Good performances can be also achieved through in situ observations employing X-band radar [7] or airborne lidar [22] equipments.…”

Análisis de imágenes satelitales Landsat 8 por componentes principales y MNF para la detección de zonas del derrame de petróleo Repsol en la Costa Peruana

“…Se han desarrollado varias técnicas para monitorear los derrames de petróleo, como sondeos visuales con aeronaves, radiómetros de microondas (MWR), escáner de línea infrarroja (IR), sensor de fluoro láser (LFS), radar aerotransportado lateral (SLAR), radar de apertura sintética (SAR ), y sensores ópticos (como Landsat, Sentinel 2, Advance Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER)) (Misra y Balaji 2017;Montali et al 2006;Solberg et al 2007;Trivero et al 2007;Gade 2015;Gade et al 1998Gade et al , 2013Shuchman et al 2004;Richards 1999). A partir de estas técnicas, los sensores satelitales de teledetección que trabajan con diferentes anchos de banda en el espectro electromagnético, como el visible, el infrarrojo cercano, el infrarrojo de onda corta, el infrarrojo térmico (sensores ópticos) y el radar (SAR), se pueden usar de manera más eficiente debido al monitoreo continuo y amplia cobertura global de la Tierra.…”