This application study highlights the potential of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery for regional oil pollution mapping. The paper presents an approach and methodology for oil spill mapping in the Caspian Sea based on analysis of the ERS-1/ERS-2 SAR image quick-looks; this image seta has been collected in May 1996. By using expert evaluation all oil spill candidates on the SAR images have been detected, analyzed and finally introduced into geographical information system (GIS). GIS consisting of layers (databases) including coastal line, oil production infrastructure, hydrography, currents, bathymetry, allowed, first, to create oil spill distribution map and, second, to define oil spill accumulations and outline risk areas. Detected oil slicks... |