Modification of sattelite radar multi-angle method for measuring parameters of emergency oil spills on the sea

Abstract

Subject and purpose. The paper seeks to develop a modified satellite radar multi-angle method (MMAM) for measuring parameters of emergency oil spills on the sea surface and, also, a technique for the determination of the main and auxiliary design parameters. Employed are radar images from synthesized aperture radar Envisat-1 surveying the oil poduction area Neftyanye Kamni in the Caspian Sea in terms of the joint project id: CIP11140 with European Space Agency. Methods and methodology. Numerical modeling is performed for equation parameters in the modified radar-contrast theory of sea roughness in the oil film presence. Methodologies have been worked out which enable the preliminary data to be derived from the Envisat-1 radar images of oil spills and allow the volume and thickness of the initial and final oil spills to be estimated upon these data. Results. From two successive radar surveys of the initial and final oil spills on the sea, the volume, thickness and surface activity of the initial and final oil spills have been determined. The parameterization of the basic oil characteristics has simplified matters with the calculations and analysis of the results. It has been shown that the oil evaporation requires that the oil film activity and the surface tension coefficients be simulated at the oil-water and oil-air interfaces, for the physical characteristics of the spreading oil vary over time. Every step of the simulation is supported with the graphic data. Conclusions. The suggested MMAM method can be employed in the airborne and spaceborne systems monitoring emergency oil spills on the sea surface. With the modern methods of data processing and presentation, the MMAM can be adopted by a wide range of consumers.

Keywords

• diagnostics of emergency oil spill parameters
• satellite modified multi-angle radar method
• sea surface radar monitoring