Oil Characterization in Ice Environments Using Multispectral and Thermal Sensors

A research project led by NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration evaluated multispectral and thermal sensor technologies for characterizing oil in ice environments. Experiments were conducted in Alaska's Beaufort Sea and aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Sir Wilfrid Laurier in May-June and July 2022. The findings are intended to support oil spill response and assessment activities in icy navigable waters.

Use Cases

• Compare the effectiveness of multispectral versus thermal sensors for oil detection based on the described experimental evaluation.
• Inform spill response technology selection in broken ice environments based on the study's findings on sensor strengths.
• Support risk assessment and planning for Arctic oil spill scenarios based on the environmental monitoring data collected.

Strengths

• Project involved a multi-agency team including NOAA, EPA, USCG, and BSEE.
• Experiments were conducted in two distinct field locations and timeframes in 2022.

Limitations

• Data is provided in PDF format, which may limit direct machine-readability and analysis.
• Column-level documentation and sample data are unavailable, requiring manual inspection after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Field experiments involving multispectral and thermal sensors conducted by a multi-agency research team.

Time Range

May 31 - June 6, 2022 and July 25 - 28, 2022

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:31:08.309094; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Beaufort Sea, Alaska (Oliktok Point, Kuparuk River) and aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Cutter Sir Wilfrid Laurier