Optical remote sensing (ORS) of reflected sun light has been used to assess oil spills in the ocean for several decades. While most applications are toward simple presence/absence detections based on the spatial contrast between oiled water and oil-free water, recent advances indicate the possibility of classifying oil types and quantifying oil volumes based on their spectral contrasts with oil-free water. However, a review of the current literature suggests that there is still confusion on whether this is possible and, if so, how. Here, based on the recent findings from numerical models, laboratory measurements, and applications to satellite or airborne imagery, we attempt to clarify this situation by summarizing (1) the optics behind oil spill remote sensing, and in turn, (2) how to interpret optical remote sensing imagery based on optical principles. In the end, we discuss the existing limitations and challenges as well as pathways forward to advance ORS of oil spills.

Chuanmin Hu

Yingcheng Lu

Shaojie Sun

Yongxue Liu

Optical Remote Sensing of Oil Spills in the Ocean: What Is Really Possible?

Yirong Wu

Liangyun Liu

Xiaofeng Li

Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry

Jun Yan

Journal of Remote Sensing: A Platform to Promote International High-Quality Research and Innovation

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The Journal of Remote Sensing, an Open Access journal published in association with AIR-CAS, promotes the theory, science, and technology of remote sensing, as well as interdisciplinary research within earth and information science.

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The Journal of Remote Sensing’s editorial board is led by Yirong Wu (Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences)&nbsp;and is comprised of experts who have made significant and well recognized contributions to the field.

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Table of Contents

Table of Contents: 2021

Optical Remote Sensing of Oil Spills in the Ocean: What Is Really Possible?

Journal of Remote Sensing: A Platform to Promote International High-Quality Research and Innovation