Marine oil spill control: SAR monitoring and model prediction (OSCSAR)

The overall objective has been to develop and demonstrate marine oil spill detection and prediction systems based on satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and other space data in combination with models for monitoring and assessment of environmental stress in Russian and Ukrainian seas.

The project has been implemented through the following tasks:
• 1: Wave modeling and studies of wave damping by oil films. The physical properties of crude oil and oil derivatives (CO/OD) films have been studied in labaratory experiments in order to develop an improved model of short wind wave damping under various oil film conditions.
• 2: Radar scattering modeling. An improved model of radar scattering from the sea surface covered by oil and biogenic films has been developed. This model is used as input to an advanced algorithm of SAR/RAR detection of oil spills and their properties. The radar scattering model has been compared with radar experiment observations.
• 3: Satellite image analysis. Spaceborne SAR and RAR images have been collected and analyzed for the the Black Sea the Caspian Sea and the Kara Sea. A specific field experiment was conducted in the Black Sea for validation of ASAR data in an area of experimental oil spill. The statistics of oil spills and their visibility/detectability in SAR images under wind conditions has been studied based on archived SAR data in the Black Sea.
• 4: Oil drift modeling. An oil spill drift model for cold waters in the Northern Sea Route has been developed and tested. This model can be used to forecast the drift of an oil spill under different wind, wave, current and ice condiitons.
• 5: Dissemination and promotion. The results of the satellite observation and modeling work developed in Task 1 – 4 have been disseminated viat publication, reports and presentations at conferences.
• 6: Networking. The research and development work in OSCSAR has been used to establish a network between institutions in Russia, Ukraine and western European countries.

Several significant results have been obtained regarding impact of slicks on gravity-capillary waves, modelling of wave damping by slicks, development and testing of oil drift model, and analysis of many SAR images in the three study areas, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Kara Sea. Also a field experiment was conducted providing useful data for validation of SAR signatures of slicks. Further work is needed in all of the tasks in order to develop operational monitoring, classification, modelling and forecasting of oil spills.