Satellite based oil spill emergency response and recovery support
Børre Pedersen A * , Hugo Isaksen A and Martine M. Espeseth AA
Børre Pedersen has more than 25 years of experience in the satellite services domain. He currently holds the position of Sales Director for Earth Observation at KSAT – Kongsberg Satellite Services, where he drives business growth, and nurtures key partnerships. Børre’s journey at KSAT began in 1998 at the Svalbard Ground Station where he lived and worked for 5 years. Over the years, his skills in B2B development, contract negotiation, and large-scale sales have enabled him to establish a strong foothold for KSAT in Europe, Asia, and the US markets. |
Hugo Isaksen is a Senior Project Manager, with over 18 years of experience in various positions at KSAT, he is now the lead of the product development of oil spill detection using synthetic aperture radar and optical data. He has a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a strong background in earth observation services, systems engineering, and satellite data processing. |
Martine Espeseth received MSc and PhD degrees in remote sensing of satellite images with a focus on marine oil pollution and sea ice from the Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Dr Espeseth is currently a project manager at KSAT in Tromsø within the Earth Observation group working with the oil detection service. |
Abstract
Oil spills at sea pose a complex and challenging problem. Detecting, reporting, and potentially acting on the spill are difficult tasks, especially if the information is only obtained from the perspective of a vessel. Near-real time and relevant information is crucial for effective management of an oil spill event. This paper demonstrates how satellite-based images, combined with methods for thickness extraction and oil drift trajectory, can provide end-users with actionable and timely information for emergency response and recovery support. The results show the high value of quick delivery and the importance of using multiple sensors and data sources during an emergency, which enhance situational awareness and decision making. We highlight the value of satellite imagery for oil detection and show how it can be used to document the polluter, identify relative oil thickness, model oil drift, and compare different sensors.
Keywords: drift models, emergency, oil spill, optical, recovery, SAR, satellite, space, thickness.
Børre Pedersen has more than 25 years of experience in the satellite services domain. He currently holds the position of Sales Director for Earth Observation at KSAT – Kongsberg Satellite Services, where he drives business growth, and nurtures key partnerships. Børre’s journey at KSAT began in 1998 at the Svalbard Ground Station where he lived and worked for 5 years. Over the years, his skills in B2B development, contract negotiation, and large-scale sales have enabled him to establish a strong foothold for KSAT in Europe, Asia, and the US markets. |
Hugo Isaksen is a Senior Project Manager, with over 18 years of experience in various positions at KSAT, he is now the lead of the product development of oil spill detection using synthetic aperture radar and optical data. He has a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and a strong background in earth observation services, systems engineering, and satellite data processing. |
Martine Espeseth received MSc and PhD degrees in remote sensing of satellite images with a focus on marine oil pollution and sea ice from the Department of Physics and Technology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, in 2015 and 2019, respectively. Dr Espeseth is currently a project manager at KSAT in Tromsø within the Earth Observation group working with the oil detection service. |
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