Oil Spills
Applications
When oil spills into the ocean, either from a leak on an oil tanker or equipment failures on offshore drilling rigs, it can have devastating environmental impacts. Satellite data is critical for detecting oil spills early to minimise environmental impact, and can monitor the movement of oil across the ocean surface.
Crude oil is the liquid remains of ancient plants and animals found in underground reservoirs where oil droplets are trapped within porous rocks. It is predominantly used for manufacturing fuels and products such as asphalt, plastics, and paint. More than 4 million tonnes of crude oil are extracted from underground and underwater deposits annually, which must often be transported over long distances, and often by sea. Oil tankers carry crude oil across the ocean, which can result in oil spills in the event of an accident, causing serious environmental issues. 14) 13)
In the United States alone, thousands of oil spills occur each year. While most of these incidents are small, their impact on the environment can still be devastating. The most common cause of oil spills is equipment failure during the refueling of ships. More severe spills can occur when offshore drilling rigs experience catastrophic failures, such as the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, which is considered to be the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry. An explosion aboard the drilling rig led to a loss of multiple lives and caused more than 400 thousand tonnes of crude oil to be released into the water. 17)
Oil spills pose a huge danger to ocean life as crude oil can coat the feathers of birds and the fur of mammals, reducing their insulating properties and making it difficult for the animals to regulate their body temperature. This exposure can lead to hypothermia, drowning, or an inability to find food. Ocean plants are also at risk, as oil can coat their surface and make photosynthesis and nutrient absorption impossible. Furthermore, inhalation and ingestion of crude oil can cause health problems in humans, including respiratory issues, liver damage, and a weakened immune system, while direct skin contact can lead to irritation. 12)
The amount of damage caused by an oil spill depends mostly on the type of oil. Light oils, such as petrol and diesel, usually evaporate within a few days, making them less dangerous to the environment. However, they are still dangerous due to their flammability and the risk of explosion. Heavy oil, commonly called bunker oil, is the most frequently spilled type of oil due to being used as ship fuel. It is the most difficult type to clean up as it does not evaporate and can stay in the water for years, washing up on shore and damaging coastal regions for years following the initial incident. 5) 1)
Oil spills are generally difficult to spot from the ground, especially in their earliest stages. EO satellites equipped with sensors such as Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), multispectral and hyperspectral imagers, radiometers, and altimeters scan the ocean’s surface, and are used to identify oil spills while they are still relatively small. Early detection allows disaster responders to take quick action, reducing the potential environmental impact and minimizing harm to marine ecosystems. 1)
Example Products
CleanSeaNet
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) provides CleanSeaNet, which supplies end-users with more than 3,000 satellite images per year and is integrated into national oil spill response chains supplementing the existing surveillance systems at national or regional level, strengthening Member State responses to illegal discharges, and supporting response to accidental spills. 3)
General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME) Suite
GNOME, initially released in 1999, is a commercially available suite of modeling tools used to predict the transport of pollutants by NOAA’s spill response support. The GNOME suite includes a variety of software for unique purposes and platforms, such as WebGNOME, PyGNOME, ADIOS Oil Database, GOODS, and TAP. 15) 10)
Software | Application |
|---|---|
Web-based application for visualising oil spills | |
Python implementation of the GNOME computational engine | |
Web-based interface for accessing physical and chemical properties of petroleum products | |
Grants access to data required for oil spill simulations | |
Calculate possibilities of oil spi |
Marine Pollution Surveillance Report (MPSR)
The Marine Pollution Surveillance Report (MPSR) is a suite of tools developed by the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) Satellite Analysis Branch (SAB) to identify and showcase marine anomalies, primarily oil spills, in U.S. waters. The software uses a combination of multispectral and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellite imagery and aerial photography to detect said anomalies. 16)
Related Missions
Sentinel-1
Sentinel-1 is the first satellite constellation of the Copernicus Programme, led by the European Space Agency (ESA). The constellation first launched with Sentinel-1A in 2014. Each satellite is equipped with a C-band SAR instrument, which can measure sea surface roughness and hence detect oil spills.
Environmental Satellite (EnviSat)
EnviSat was a mission conducted by ESA, with the objective of monitoring Earth’s environment, specifically in the areas of meteorology, climatology, environment, atmospheric chemistry, vegetation, hydrology, land use, and ocean and ice processes. The satellite was launched in March 2002, and retired in April 2012. The onboard Advanced SAR (ASAR) sensor was the main instrument used for oil spill detection.
COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) and COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG)
COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation (CSG) is an advanced radar satellite constellation developed by the Italian Space Agency, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Defence. It builds upon the first-generation COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) system, enhancing capabilities for both civilian and defence applications. CSK first launched in June 2007, while CSG first launched in December 2019.
The satellites are equipped with advanced X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instruments to monitor surface changes and are useful for maritime surveillance applications such as detecting and mapping oil spills.
CSG: Read more
CSK: Read more
ALOS-2 and -4
ALOS-2 and ALOS-4, developed and operated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), were launched on 24 May 2014 and 1 July 2024, respectively Both satellites carry versions of the Phased Array type L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar, with ALOS-2 carrying PALSAR-2 and ALOS-4 carrying PALSAR-3. The instruments provide high-resolution imaging, supporting environmental and maritime monitoring, including oil spill detection.
ALOS-2: Read more
ALOS-4: Read more
NovaSAR-1
NovaSAR-1, launched on 16 September 2018, was developed collaboratively by Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. (SSTL) and Airbus Defence and Space, with funding from the UK, India, Australia, and the Philippines. It carries an S-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, providing all-weather, day-and-night imaging and maritime vessel tracking. The SAR instrument in NovaSAR-1 is capable of detecting oil contamination by identifying changes in sea surface roughness, while the AIS supports source identification.
PAZ
Launched on 22 February 2018, PAZ is Spain’s first Earth observation satellite equipped with an X-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument. It is developed by Airbus Defence and Space and operated by Hisdesat. Its SAR instrument captures detailed surface imagery that can be used to detect marine pollution and oil spills.
RADARSAT
The RADARSAT series is a Canadian C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar satellite series. RADARSAT-1, launched in November 1995, and RADARSAT-2, launched in December 2007, are operated by the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The pair were followed by the RADARSAT Constellation Mission (RCM), which includes three identical SAR satellites designed to offer more frequent revisit times and enhanced coverage. RCM was developed collaboratively by MacDonald Dettwiler Associates Ltd. (MDA) and CSA.
All RADARSAT missions provide high-resolution Earth observation data for applications including environmental monitoring, maritime surveillance, and disaster management. The improved temporal resolution and wide-area imaging capabilities of RCM make it very effective for detecting marine pollution and oil spills.
RADARSAT-1: Read more
RADARSAT-2: Read more
RADARSAT Constellation Mission: Read more
SAOCOM
The Satélite Argentino de Observación COn Microondas (SAOCOM), meaning Argentine Microwave Observation Satellite, consists of two satellites, SAOCOM-1A and SAOCOM-1B, owned and operated by CONAE, Argentina’s national space agency. SAOCOM-1A was launched on 8 October 2018 and SAOCOM-1B was launched on 20 August 2020. Both satellites are equipped with an L-Band SAR instrument capable of monitoring soil moisture, detecting oil contamination on the sea surface and assess the extent of floods and other natural disasters.
References
1) Coastal Wiki, “Oil spill monitoring”, URL: https://www.coastalwiki.org/wiki/Oil_spill_monitoring
2) Copernicus, “OBSERVER: Tracking oil spills with Copernicus”, URL: https://www.copernicus.eu/en/news/news/observer-tracking-oil-spills-copernicus
3) EMSA, “CleanSeaNet: Service Results”, URL: https://www.emsa.europa.eu/csn-menu/csn-service.html
4) ESA, “Monitoring oil spills from space”, URL: https://www.esa.int/Enabling_Support/Preparing_for_the_Future/Space_for_Earth/Blue_worlds/Monitoring_oil_spills_from_space
5) ESA, “Oil spills”, URL: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Oil_spills
6) ESA, “Sentinel-1”, URL: https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-1
7) NOAA, “CAMEO Software Suite”, URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/cameosuite
8) NOAA, “Environmental Response Management Application (ERMA)”, URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/erma
9) NOAA, “Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) Maps and Data”, URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/resources/environmental-sensitivity-index-esi-maps
10) NOAA, “GNOME Suite for Oil Spill Modeling”, URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/gnomesuite
11) NOAA, December 5, 2022, “How California Oil Spill Responders Use NOAA's Mapping Tools to Track Resources at Risk”, URL: https://blog.response.restoration.noaa.gov/index.php/how-california-oil-spill-responders-use-noaas-mapping-tools-track-resources-risk
12) NOAA, “How Oil Harms Animals and Plants in Marine Environments”, URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills/oil-spills/how-oil-harms-animals-and-plants-marine-environments.html
13) NOAA, “Oil and Chemical Spills”, URL: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/oil-and-chemical-spills
14) NOAA, “Oil Spills”, URL: https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/oil-spills
15) NOAA, “Spotting Spills from Space”, URL: https://blog.response.restoration.noaa.gov/spotting-spills-space
16) NOAA, “The Marine Pollution Surveillance Report”, URL: https://www.ospo.noaa.gov/Products/ocean/marinepollution/MPSR_About.pdf
17) Our World in Data, “Oil Spills”, URL: https://ourworldindata.org/oil-spills