The Use of Satellite Imagery to Monitor Oil Pollution in Lebanon

Abstract

The support activities within the European Commission (EC) DG Joint Research Centre (JRC) following the oil pollution along the Lebanese coast are described. The activities primarily focused on the use of satellite imagery to provide information on the extent and possible direction of movement of the slick. The employed data were mainly Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images. The possible use of low resolution optical data was also considered. After briefly describing the methodology we present the main results, in terms of most significant information extracted from the imagery. Preliminary results on the use of optical imagery are also presented. All the obtained results are discussed and validated with respect to the results from visual inspections on scene. Particular attention is finally given to the assessment of the methodology with respect to the specific operational needs of this kind of emergency.