Monitoring Oil Spills Offshore the United Arab Emirates Using Multi Satellite Data

The paper discusses sea oil pollution detection, statistics and mapping in the Arabian Gulf waters, offshore the United Arab Emirates by using multi-satellite data with particular focus on SAR data from different platforms. The work is roughly divided into four main steps. Possible oil slicks are first identified from each image. Next, the slick is analyzed to separate natural slicks from possible oil spills. The later are subjected to further re-examination so that all possible oil spills are identified and mapped. The overall statistical results are then complied and percentages of occurrences of each spill type are calculated. Finally, spatial oil spill distribution maps in the Arabian Gulf waters; offshore the United Arab Emirates are derived and compiled in an “oil atlas”. The results show very good agreement with shipping routes, ships anchoring areas and oil production facilities.