Multi-sensor based approach for detection of oil pollution in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman

In this study, two oil spill events in 2014 in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman were monitored and tracked using multi-sensor satellite imagery, including MODIS, Landsat-8, and VIIRS. The oil slicks were characterized by dark or bright contrasts relative to surrounding oil-free waters in the RGB images. The oil slicks covered an estimated area of 29 km² in the northern Arabian Gulf and 40 km² in the Sea of Oman. The trajectories of oil slicks were estimated with a pollution transport model. The results were consistent with satellite observations. The study presented in this paper demonstrated the benefit of combining multi-satellite observations and transport models for oil spill monitoring and tracking.