North Sea Offshore Platform Oil Monitoring By Single And Dual Polarization TerraSAR-X Data

In this study to investigate the capability of high resolutionSAR data to detect small quantities of oil near offshore platforms, a data set acquired both in single and dual-polarization mode over the Ekofisk oil platform is analyzed. Instantaneous wind information retrieved directly from the SAR image using the XMOD Geophysical Model Function (GMF) and wind history from the DWD forecast global sea wave model (GSM) are provided to discriminate a probable wind shadowing effect near the offshore installation and estimate the age of the spills. Foremost examples from the data set acquired between January, 2008 and February, 2010 are shown here and discussed in detail.