Short course: Airborne Surveillance

Sarah Hall, Oil Spill Response Ltd

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.

Introduction
Airborne surveillance - 20 minutes

1.
2.
3.
4.

Types of airborne sensors

Integrated airborne systems
Training of airborne surveillance
Challenge of the regional availability of platforms and
sensors

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.

Setting the Scene

Why is airborne surveillance important for oil spill response
Need a good picture of where the oil is, where its heading, how
much oil there is, what sensitivities will be impacted....allows a
targeted response

Airborne surveillance has evolved over the last few years

More platforms
Greater varieties of sensors
Expectations have changed
technology i.e. from visual observation to integrated sensor systems
JIP SMV WP 2, 2015
Surface surveillance capabilities for oil spill response using remote sensing
API Technical Report, 2013
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Remote Sensing in support
of oil spill response

Setting the Scene

Airborne sensing capabilities vary....
1. Grab bag in an aircraft of opportunity (handheld digital camera)

no unmanned platforms

2. Pre-identified aircraft (portable installable visual, IR, UV sensors)

awareness of unmanned platforms available

3. Dedicated aircraft (variety of sensors)

contract for unmanned platforms

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1. Discuss types of airborne sensors

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Types of airborne sensors

Airborne sensors are used to detect and track oil
Strategic role: overview of the extent of the release
Tactical role: support for response operations

Each sensor has different capabilities and produces different

image products
Successful applications of sensors requires a combination of
several sensors
i.e. Vis/UV/IR, these can be overlaid and compared

When selecting a sensor its important to consider the

conditions of the scenario
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3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion
Many different airborne sensors could be discussed
focusing on 3 sensors (different outputs)
1. Visual observation (human eye)
2. Thermal infrared (TIR)
3. Side looking airborne radar (SLAR)
Group work - advantages and disadvantages

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.

3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion
1. Visual observation (human eye)
Using trained observers to detect the appearance of oil using colour
codes
Detect the outline and thickness of oil, including emulsified oil
Operate in the day only
Weather: variable (cloud base challenge)
Less prone to false positives
Also to interpret and analyse other sensors

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3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion
2. Thermal infrared (TIR)
Sensor detects the appearance of oil using temperature variations
between the oil and water
Detects the thickness of oil, not thin or emulsified oil
Imagery shows the oil and water in a different shade
Operate in day and night
Weather: effected by fog, haze, cloud
Prone to false positives (sea grass etc)
Needs interpreting

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.

3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion
3. Side looking airborne radar (SLAR)
Sensor detects the appearance of oil through the differences in the
texture of the sea surface i.e. oil dampens the natural sea surface
roughness
Detects the outline of oil, not the thickness
Imagery shows the oil as darker patches (lower backscatter)
Operate in day or night
Weather: variable (not too calm/rough)
Prone to false positives
Needs interpreting

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3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion
Divide into 3 groups, each group takes one sensor

Group 1 - Visual observation (human eye)

Group 2 - Thermal infrared (TIR)
Group 3 - Side looking airborne radar (SLAR)

Using handout A for background and recording

discuss (3 minutes) the advantages and
disadvantages of the sensor during oil spill
surveillance
Feedback to the group
Most important advantage
Most important disadvantage
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Group 1 - Visual observation (human eye)

Advantages

One of the simplest of sensors; they are very effective at the mission
Verbally communicate observations to tactical resources in the field or
back to command in real time
Deployed rapidly, before other electronic sensors are available
Visual observation allows for interpretation at the same time as
observation

Disadvantages

Untrained observers can be prone to false positives i.e. algae blooms,

seaweed, wind shadows
Inconsistency and inexperience of observers
Relative thickness estimates are qualitative and subjective
Observer fatigue
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Group 2 - Thermal infrared (TIR)

Advantages

Detect oil on water during day or night due to temperature variations

between the two bodies
Mature technology - wide range of commercially available sensors are
available
Relative thickness information can be used to direct skimmers etc to
thicker portions of the slick

Disadvantages

Cannot detect thin oil sheens

Require good visibility, with no fog or haze; cloudy conditions can limit
the effectiveness
Reporting of false positives (kelp beds, boat wakes, river outflows)

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Group 3 - Side looking airborne radar (SLAR)

Advantages

Large coverage area

Performs day or night, under clear or cloudy conditions
Mature technology used successfully for years
Readily available

Disadvantages

Range resolution is altitude dependent - higher altitudes, the sensor sees

a larger area but at a lower resolution
Does not discriminate between thin or thick oil
Prone to false positives due to other sea-dampening phenomena i.e.
seaweed each needs observation to rule it out
Difficult to use in areas cluttered with wind shadows i.e. an area with a
high concentration of small islands
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3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion
Summary
Advantages and disadvantages you described are valid and important

Important to:
Understand how sensors support a response by targeting resources
more efficiently

Establish a team that can:

determine the appropriate technology
deploy the technology
analyse the data

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2. Discuss operational uses of

integrated airborne systems

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Integrated airborne systems

Overview
A number of suppliers are now offering integrated airborne
systems (combined sensor packages)
Paired systems can include:

UV, TIR
IR camera and radar
VIS, UV, IR, SLAR, SAR, LIF
MS, IR

Combinations of sensors depends on the required use of the

sensor packages and capability of the company to integrate
them
Overall integrated airborne systems give the following
capabilities.....
Photographs
from
OPTIMARE,
Medusa
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Integrated airborne systems

Overview
Use multiple sensors together to provide spill information and
help identify false alarms
Extracting features from the imagery of the oil spill
(area/size/thickness)
Mission planning integrates with aircraft systems (flight
plan/waypoints/import of satellite imagery)

Photographs from Swedish Space Corporation, MSS6000

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Integrated airborne systems

Overview
Left IR, Middle UV, Right - Fusion

Extend observations into

the night/detect
thicknesses of oil
Merging multi-sensor oil
data into a single
composite thickness map
(automated image
analysis)

Photographs from OPTIMARE, Medusa

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Integrated airborne systems

Overview
Individual sensor processing (digitizes/stores data/georeferences/transfers data to the mission system)
Mission management system: single network for immediate
in-flight processing
Single ground station processing
Live data downlink to shore based command send
polygons, spill positioning
Computer aided report generation

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Photographs from Swedish Space Corporation, MSS6000

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Integrated airborne systems

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages to
integrated airborne systems during an oil spill?
Advantages?

Disadvantages?

Ability to confirm visual

observations with multiple
sensors
Merging multi-sensor data into a
single map
Real time data to enable
response decisions
Importing of satellite imagery
Quick data processing in the air
or on the ground

Still relies on trained observers

to verify what the sensors are
suggesting
Expensive
Large sensors to fit in aircraft
Difficult to move
Import/export restrictions

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Integrated airborne systems

Summary
Again all the advantages and disadvantages you described are valid
and important

Multiple sensors compliment each other helps identify false

positives
Reason to integrate sensors is so you have the option to
merge multi-sensor oil data into a single image

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3. Training is a critical part of effective

airborne surveillance for oil spill response

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.

Training is a critical part of

effective airborne surveillance
JIP SMV WP 2 (final report, 2015)

Airborne surveillance training ensures experienced personnel

are calibrated, exercised and up to date on technology
changes
Visual observation (human eye) is still important technology
cannot be completely relied upon, data needs to be
interpreted and analysed

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Training is a critical part of

effective airborne surveillance
Lessons learned from airborne surveillance:
Good communication in the aircraft/operating unmanned
sensors
Quick and clear on-scene communication with shore
based command
Calibration during handovers
Quick data processing
Understanding what sensors can be useful to you, what to
pick and when
Being able to justify quantifications using the sensors

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Training is a critical part of

effective airborne surveillance
Challenges of training airborne surveillance
Recognising the limitations of airborne surveillance sensors
Some new sensors are complex to analyse and interpret

Managing expectations i.e. UAV capabilities

Technology is moving fast i.e. UAVs, training needs to keep
pace

Training to also rapidly process and distribute the data

A way to train in less familiar environments, such as the
Arctic

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4. The challenge of the regional

availability of platforms and sensors

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.

Challenge of the regional availability

of platforms and sensors
Platforms manned and unmanned
Sensors Vis/IR/UV/SLAR/LIF etc
Availability tends to be driven by;
Regional regulations i.e. UKCS aircraft
Operator internal requirements

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Challenge of the regional availability

of platforms and sensors
Good practice (JIP) highlights there is a need to build
surveillance capabilities regionally as it ensures a quicker
response

suppliers already known

contracts, permits, licensing already in place
less travel distance
familiarisation with the area

Regulations and guidance for the use of platforms are

Country specific
UAV regulations/operating guidelines changing, especially in the next
few years

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Challenge of the regional availability

of platforms and sensors
Examples of regional availability
able to respond effectively and efficiently

USA
No government funded airborne surveillance
Marine Spill Response Corporation (MSRC)
largest response organisation in the US
funded by members
3 x portable airborne sensing packages (TIR/multispectral sensors)
fit to pre-identified aircraft of opportunity
staged on each coast (NJ, TX, CA)

Norway
NOFO
1 x dedicated shared aircraft (Vis/SLAR/FLIR)
Shared and funded by NCA, NOFO, Coastguard

3 x aerostats (Vis/IR)
1 x UAV (Vis)
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Challenge of the regional availability

of platforms and sensors
The challenge for industry and response organisations is to;
have regional access to airborne surveillance with multiple platforms
and a variety of suitable sensors
keep up with (fast moving) technology and legislation changes

Industry knows smart airborne surveillance is integral to

responding efficiently and effectively to spills
needs to meet the challenges by working together

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Thank you

Copyright 2015. Oil Spill Response Limited.