Ocean oil pollution mapping with ERS synthetic aperture radar imagery

Abstract

Over six thousand of ERS- 1/2 SAR images has been used to map the spatial distribution of ocean oil pollution in the Southeast Asian waters. The relative frequency of oil spills is characterised by a normalised oil spill index representing the average number of oil slicks detected in an ERS scene. Most oil spills are found along the major international shipping routes as well as in those areas with intensive large-scale oil exploitation activities. This work can be taken as the first step of an overall future ocean oil spill monitoring campaigns. Compilation of a global ocean oil pollution map is suggested.