GOM Oil On Water Sampling Photos: Aerial and Satellite Imagery for Oil Slick Analysis

Photographic data were collected as part of NOAA's Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned Studies on detecting oil thickness and emulsion mixtures. The research developed methods for synoptic collection of satellite and airborne imagery, surface oil characterization, and subsurface oil slick data at the MC20 site in the Gulf of Mexico. This field research was primarily funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement through an interagency agreement with NOAA.

Use Cases

• Training computer vision models for oil slick detection based on the aerial and satellite imagery described.
• Developing methods to estimate oil slick coverage and thickness based on the synoptic data collection approach mentioned.
• Analyzing chronic oil discharge patterns at specific sites like MC20 based on the multi-year field research.
• Calibrating remote sensing platforms using ground-truthed surface oil characterization data referenced in the study.

Strengths

• Data collection was part of a formal NOAA Deepwater Horizon Lessons Learned Study, indicating a structured research context.
• Research involved synoptic collection from multiple platforms (satellite, airborne, surface) as described.
• Field research was undertaken over multiple years (2016, 2017, 2018) at the MC20 site.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data files are in PDF and HTML formats, which may require extraction for analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Field research involving synoptic collection of satellite imagery, airborne imagery, surface oil characterization, oil and water chemistry, and subsurface oil slick data.

Time Range

Field research undertaken in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-13 22:24:57.915866; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mississippi Canyon lease block #20 (MC20) in the Gulf of Mexico, and the Oil and Hazardous Materials Simulated Environmental Test Tank (Ohmsett).