Exploratory Use of Modis in Oil-Spill Monitoring

The NASA MODIS is an optical sensor (0.4 -14.4 µm) for the observation of land, ocean and atmosphere. Match-ups with SAR images showed that MODIS is able to detect oil features; nevertheless the conditions (e.g. sun/satellite geometry, wind speed, atmospheric optical thickness) under which the detection is possible and reliable must still be defined. MODIS has great potentiality in oil-spill monitoring in the marine environment: two higher resolution bands (250-m resolution at nadir); two daily acquisitions; data provided in near-real time and free of charge. Additionally, MODIS offers the potential to retrieve target spectral information and oil thickness indications. It is important to underline that this requires accurate removal of the atmospheric contribution. A standard and validated operational atmospheric processing scheme targeted to oil spill detection is crucial. Further scientific research is required.

BULGARELLI Barbara;  TARCHI Dario; 

2007-02-19

Joint Research Centre - Institute for the Protection and Security of the Citizen

JRC36347

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC36347,