Operational satellite monitoring of oil spill pollution in the southeastern Baltic sea

Aplinkos tyrimai, inžinerija ir vadyba, 2006.Nr4(38), P.70-77 ISSN 1392-1649 Environmental research, engineering and management, 2006.No.4(38), P.70-77

Operational Satellite Monitoring of Oil Spill Pollution in the Southeastern Baltic Sea: 18 Months Experience Andrey Kostianoy1, Konstantin Litovchenko2, Olga Lavrova3, Marina Mityagina3, Tatyana Bocharova3, Sergey Lebedev4,5, Sergey Stanichny6, Dmitry Soloviev6, Aleksander Sirota7, Olga Pichuzhkina8 1P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia, 2Russian Research Institute for Space Instrument-Making, Moscow, Russia 3Russian Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia 4Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia 5State Oceanographic Institute, Moscow, Russia 6Marine Hydrophysical Institute, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine, Sevastopol, the Ukraine 7Atlantic Research Institute for Fishery and Oceanography, Kaliningrad, Russia 8LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft, Kaliningrad, Russia

(received in June, 2006; accepted in December, 2006)

In June 2003 LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft initiated a pilot project, aimed to the complex monitoring of the southeastern Baltic Sea, in connection with a beginning of oil production at continental shelf of Russia in March 2004. Operational monitoring was performed in June 2004 – November 2005 on the base of daily satellite remote sensing (AVHRR NOAA, MODIS, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, ENVISAT ASAR and RADARSAT SAR imagery) of sea surface temperature (SST), sea level, chlorophyll concentration, mesoscale dynamics, wind and waves, and oil spills. As a result complex information on oil pollution of the sea, SST, distribution of suspended matter, chlorophyll concentration, sea currents and meteorological parameters has been received. In total, 274 oil spills were detected in 230 ASAR ENVISAT images (400x400 km, 75 m/pixel resolution) and 17 SAR RADARSAT images (300x300 km, 25 m/pixel resolution) received during 18 months. The interactive numerical model Seatrack Web SMHI (The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute) was used for a forecast of the drift of (1) all large oil spills detected by ASAR ENVISAT in the southeastern Baltic Sea and (2) virtual (simulated) oil spills from the D-6 platform. The latter was done daily for operational correction of the action plan for accident elimination at the D-6 and ecological risk assessment (oil pollution of the sea and the Curonian Spit). Probability of the oil spill drift directed to the Curonian Spit equals to 67%, but only in a half of these cases oil spills could reach the coast during 48 h after an accidental release of 10 m3 of oil.

Key words: monitoring, oil pollution, Baltic Sea

1. Introduction Detection of oil pollution is among the most

important goals of monitoring of a coastal zone. Public interest in the problem of oil pollution arises mainly during dramatic tanker catastrophes such as “The Sea Empress” (Wales, 1996), “Erica” (France, 1999) and “Prestige” (Spain, 2002). However, tanker catastrophes are only one among many causes of oil pollution.

Oil and oil product spillages at sea take place all the time, and it would be a delusion to consider tanker accidents the main environmental danger. According to the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (ITOPF), over the period of 1974-2002, spillages resulting from collisions, groundings, tanker holes and fires amounted to 52% of total leakages during tanker loading/unloading and bunkering operations. Discharge of wastewater containing oil

Operational Satellite Monitoring of Oil Spill Pollution in the Southeastern Baltic Sea: 1.5 Years Experience

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products is another important source, by pollutant volume comparable to offshore oil extraction and damaged underwater pipelines. The greatest, but hardest-to estimate oil inputs come from domestic and industrial discharges, direct or via rivers, and from natural hydrocarbon seeps. The long-term effects of this chronic pollution are arguably more harmful to the coastal environment than a single, large-scale accident.

Shipping activities in the Baltic Sea, including oil transport and oil handled in harbors, have a number of negative impacts on the marine environment and coastal zone. Oil discharges from ships represent a significant threat to marine ecosystems. Oil spills cause the contamination of seawater, shores, and beaches, which may persist for several months and represent a threat to marine resources. The total annual number of oil spills into the Baltic Sea is estimated to be around 10,000 and the total amount of oil running into the sea can be as much as 10,000 tons which is considerably more than the amount of oil pouring into the sea in accidents (Finnish Environment Institute, 2004).

One of the main tasks in the ecological monitoring of the Baltic Sea is an operational satellite and aerial detection of oil spillages, determination of their characteristics, establishment of the pollution sources and forecast of probable trajectories of the oil spill transport. Oil pollution monitoring in the Mediterranean, North and Baltic Seas is normally carried out by aircrafts or ships. This is expensive and is constrained by the limited availability of these resources. Aerial surveys over large areas of the seas to check for the presence of oil are limited to the daylight hours in good weather conditions. Satellite imagery can help greatly identifying probable spills over very large areas and then guiding aerial surveys for precise observation of specific locations. The Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) instrument, which can collect data independently of weather and light conditions, is an excellent tool to monitor and detect oil on water surfaces. This instrument offers the most effective means of monitoring oil pollution: oil slicks appear as dark patches on SAR images because of the damping effect of the oil on the backscattered signals from the radar instrument. This type of instrument is currently on board the European Space Agency's ENVISAT and ERS-2 satellites and the Canadian Space Agency’s RADARSAT satellite.

The ENVISAT satellite was launched in March 2002 by the European Space Agency (ESA). Operational systems, which include 10 instruments, have been developed to monitor oceans, ice, land and atmosphere. ENVISAT has 35 day repeat cycle, but due to wide swaths by some of the instruments, the Earth is covered within a few days. ASAR (Advanced Synthetic- Aperture Radar) instrument is used for mapping sea ice and oil slick monitoring, measurements of ocean surface features (currents, fronts, eddies, internal waves), ship detection, oil and gas exploration, etc. Users of remotely sensed data for oil spill applications include the Coast Guard, national environmental protection agencies and departments,

oil companies, shipping, insurance and fishing industries, national departments of fisheries and oceans, and other organizations.

2. Satellite Monitoring Since 1993 there is no regular aerial surveillance

of the oil spills in the Russian sector of the southeastern Baltic Sea and in the Gulf of Finland. In June 2003 LUKOIL Kaliningradmorneft initiated a pilot project, aimed to the complex monitoring of the southeastern Baltic Sea, in connection with a beginning of oil production at continental shelf of Russia in March 2004 (Fig.1).

Fig. 1. D-6 oil platform.

Operational monitoring was performed in June 2004 – November 2005 on the base of daily satellite remote sensing (AVHRR NOAA, MODIS, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, ENVISAT ASAR and RADARSAT SAR imagery) of SST, sea level, chlorophyll concentration, mesoscale dynamics, wind and waves, and oil spills (Kostianoy, 2005; Kostianoy et al., 2004; 2005a,b,c; Lavrova et al., 2006). As a result complex information on oil pollution of the sea, SST (Fig.2), distribution of suspended matter, chlorophyll concentration (Fig.3), sea currents and meteorological parameters has been received. General goals of the satellite oil pollution monitoring in the Baltic Sea were: 1. Detection of oil spills in the vicinity of D-6 oil

platform as well as in the large area of the southeastern Baltic Sea;

2. Identification of sources of pollution; 3. Forecast of oil spills drift; 4. Data systematization and archiving; 5. Cooperation with authorities.

Operational monitoring of oil pollution in the sea was based on the processing and analysis of ASAR ENVISAT (every pass over the southeastern Baltic Sea, 400x400 km, 75 m/pixel resolution) and SAR RADARSAT (300x300 km, 25 m/pixel resolution) images received from KSAT Station (Kongsberg Satellite Services, Tromsø, Norway) in operational regime (1-2 hours after the satellite’s overpass).

For interpretation of ASAR ENVISAT imagery and forecast of oil spills drift IR and VIS AVHRR (NOAA) and MODIS (Terra and Aqua) images were

A. Kostianoy, K. Litovchenko, O. Lavrova, M. Mityagina, T. Bocharova, S. Lebedev, S. Stanichny, D. Soloviev, A. Sirota, O. Pichuzhkina

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received, processed and analyzed, as well as the QuikSCAT scatter meter and the JASON-1 altimeter data. The satellite receiving station at the Marine Hydro Physical Institute (MHI) in Sevastopol was used for operational 24 hours/day, 7 days/week receiving of AVHRR NOAA data for construction of sea surface temperature, optical characteristics of sea water and currents maps. SST variability (Fig. 2) and intensive algae bloom (high concentration of blue-green algae on the sea surface in the summertime) (Fig. 3) allow to highlight meso- and small-scale water dynamics in the Baltic Sea and to follow movements of currents, eddies, dipoles, jets, filaments, river plumes and outflows from the Vistula and the Curonian bays. Sequence of daily MODIS IR and VIS imagery allows to reconstruct a real field of surface currents (direction and velocity) with 0.25-1 km resolution which is very important for a forecast of a direction and velocity of potential pollution drift including oil spills. Combination of ASAR ENVISAT images with high resolution VIS and IR MODIS images allows to understand the observed form of the detected oil spills and to predict their transport by currents.

Fig. 2. Sea surface temperature in the Baltic Sea on 1 September 2005 (NOAA-18).

Fig. 3. Algae bloom in the Baltic Sea on 13 July 2005 (MODIS-Terra).

Sea wind speed fields were derived from scatterometer data from every path of the QuikSCAT satellite over the Baltic Sea (twice a day). These data were combined with the data from coastal meteorological stations in Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, and numerical weather models. Satellite altimetry data from every track of Jason-1 over the Baltic Sea were used for compilation of sea wave height charts, which include the results of the FNMOC (Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center) WW3 Model. Both data were used for the analysis of the ASAR ENVISAT imagery and estimates of oil spill drift direction and velocity.

In total, 274 oil spills were detected in 230 ASAR ENVISAT images and 17 SAR RADARSAT images received during 18 months. Several examples from the oil spill gallery are presented in Figs.4-6. A map of all oil spills detected by the analysis of the ASAR ENVISAT imagery in the given area of the southeastern Baltic Sea from 12 June 2004 till 30 November 2005 is presented in Fig. 7. A real form and dimension of oil spills are shown. A green square shows location of the D-6 oil platform. Oil spills clearly revealed the main ship routes in the Baltic Sea directed to Ventspils, Liepaja, Klaipeda (routes from different directions), Kaliningrad, and along Gotland Island. No spills originating from the D-6 oil platform were observed. 3. Numerical Modelling

The interactive numerical model Seatrack Web SMHI was used for a forecast of the drift of (1) all large oil spills detected by ASAR ENVISAT in the southeastern Baltic Sea (Fig.8) and (2) virtual (simulated) oil spills from the D-6 platform (Fig.9). The latter was done daily for 8 operational corrections of the action plan for accident elimination at the D-6 and ecological risk assessment (oil pollution of the sea and the Curonian Spit). This version of a numerical model on the Internet platform has been developed at the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute in close co-operation with Danish authorities. The system is based on an operational weather model HIRLAM (HIgh Resolution Limited Area Model, 22 km grid) and a circulation model HIROMB (High Resolution Operational Model for the Baltic Sea, 24 layers), which calculates the current field at 3 n.m. grid. The model allows to forecast the oil drift for two days ahead or to make a hind cast (backward calculation) for 10 days in the whole Baltic Sea. When calculating the oil drift, wind and current forecasts are taken from the operational models. An oil spreading calculation is added to the currents, as well as oil evaporation, emulsification, sinking, stranding and dispersion. This powerful system today is in operational use in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia (Ambjörn, 2004). Statistics, based on daily forecast of the oil spills drift from the D-6 oil platform in July-December 2004, shows


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potential probability (%) of the appearance of an oil spill in any point of the area during 48 h after an accidental release of 10 m3 of oil (Fig.10). Probability of the oil spill drift directed to the Curonian Spit (150°-sector from D-6) equals to 67%, but only in a half of these cases oil spills reached the coast.

Fig. 4. A release of oil from the ship moving northward (white dots) on 11 January 2005 (ASAR Envisat). Length of the spill is 31 km, surface – 9.6 km2.

Fig. 5. A release of oil from three ships on 25 August 2005 (ASAR Envisat). Length of the spill in front of Klaipėda is 33.6 km, surface – 8.6 km2. Length of another long spill – 22 km.

Fig. 6. An oil spill released from the ship moving along Gotland Island on 18 October 2005 (ASAR Envisat). Length of the spill chain is 50 km, total surface 33 km2.

Fig. 7. Map of all oil spills detected by the analysis of the ASAR ENVISAT and SAR RADARSAT imagery in June 2004 – November 2005.


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Fig. 8. Numerical modeling of the drift (28-30 May 2005) of an oil spill detected northward of Ventspils on 28 May 2005.

Fig. 9. An example of daily forecast of the virtual (simulated) oil spill drift from the D-6 platform for 23-30 October 2005.


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4. Conclusions

In total, 274 oil spills were detected in 230 ASAR ENVISAT images and 17 SAR RADARSAT images received in the period between June 2004 and November 2005. Main sources of oil pollution are ships. No spills caused by leakage from the D-6 oil platform were detected. For auxiliary needs about 1600 IR and VIS AVHRR (NOAA) and MODIS (Terra and Aqua) images were processed and analyzed, as well as 240 maps of near- surface wind derived from the QuikSCAT scatterometer and 73 maps of wave height derived from the JASON1 altimeter were constructed. About 550 oil spills (real and virtual) drift forecasts were done basing on the numerical model Seatrack Web (SMHI). ASAR ENVISAT and SAR RADARSAT provide effective capabilities to monitor oil spills, in particular, in the Baltic Sea. Combined with satellite remote sensing (AVHRR NOAA, MODIS-Terra and -Aqua, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1) of SST, sea level, chlorophyll concentration, mesoscale dynamics, wind and waves, this observational system represents a powerful method for longterm monitoring of ecological state of semi-enclosed seas especially vulnerable to oil pollution.

Fig. 10. Probability of observation of potential oil pollution from the D-6 platform during the first two days after an accidental release of 10 m3 of oil.

Acknowledgements

This work was initiated and supported by LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft. We would like to thank European Space Agency (ESA, http://www.esa.int/esaCP/index.html) and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT, Tromsø, Norway, www.ksat.no/) for the production and distribution of ASAR ENVISAT data (Contract 04-10095-А-С); NOAA (http://www.noaa.gov/) and Space Monitoring Information Support Laboratory in Russian Space Research Institute (SMIS IKI RAN, http://smis.iki.rssi.ru/) for AVHRR data; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center for the production and distribution of MODIS (Terra and Aqua) data (http://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/home/index.ht

ml); Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PODAAC), JPL NASA (ftp://podaac.jpl.nasa.gov) for the production and distribution of QuikSCAT and JASON-1 data; and Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI, www.smhi.se/) for the access to the Seatrack Web model. 6. References 1. Ambjörn, C. “Forecasts of the trajectory and fate of

spills, using Internet as the calculation platform.” In: USA-Baltic International Symposium “Advances in Marine Environmental Research, Monitoring and Technologies”, Klaipeda, Lithuania, 15-17 June 2004.

2. Finnish Environment Institute, 2004 (http://www.ymparisto.fi/).

3. Kostianoy, A.G. “Satellite monitoring of oil pollution in the Black, Azov, Caspian and Baltic seas.” Proceedings, “Black Sea and Caspian Ecology 2005” 3d International Caspian and Black Sea Ecology Summit and Showcase, 24-25 November 2005, Istanbul, Turkey, 2005: E27-E28.

4. Kostianoy, A.G., Lebedev, S.A., Litovchenko, K.Ts., Stanichny, S.V., and O.E. Pichuzhkina. “Satellite remote sensing of oil spill pollution in the southeastern Baltic Sea.“ Gayana. 2004 (V.68, N 2, Part 2):pp.327-332.

5. Kostianoy, A.G., Lebedev, S.A., Litovchenko, K.Ts., Stanichny, S.V., and O.E. Pichuzhkina. “Oil spill monitoring in the Southeastern Baltic Sea.” Environmental Research, Engineering and Management. 2005 (3):pp.73-79.

6. Kostianoy, A.G., Lebedev, S.A., Soloviev, D.M., and O.E. Pichuzhkina. Satellite monitoring of the Southeastern Baltic Sea. Annual Report 2004. Lukoil- Kaliningradmorneft, Kaliningrad, 2005.

7. Kostianoy, A.G., Litovchenko, K.Ts., Lebedev, S.A., Stanichny, S.V., Soloviev, D.M., and O.E. Pichuzhkina. “Operational satellite monitoring of oil spill pollution in the southeastern Baltic Sea” Oceans 2005 – Europe, Volume 1, 20-23 June 2005 pp.s:182-183. DOI: 10.1109/OCEANSE.2005.1511706.

8. Lavrova, O., Bocharova, T., and A. Kostianoy. “Satellite radar imagery of the coastal zone: slicks and oil spills.” EARSeL eProceedings, 2006 (2).


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Prof., Dr. Andrey Kostianoy, Principal Scientist at the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences Main research areas: Physical Oceanography, Remote Sensing of the Ocean Address: Nakhimovsky Pr. 36, 117997, Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7-495-124.88.10 Fax: +7-495-124.59.83 E-mail: [email protected] PhD. Konstantin Litovchenko, head of Department at the Russian Research Institute for Space Instrument-Making Main research areas: Remote Sensing, Radar measurements Address: 53, Aviamotornaya Str 111250, Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7-495-673 9934 Fax: +7-495-673 3169 E-mail: [email protected] PhD. Olga Lavrova, head of Laboratory, at the Russian Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences Main research areas: Remote sensing of the Ocean, radar modelling, oil pollution, coastal zone Address: Profsoyuznaya str. 84/32, 117997, Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7-495-3334256 Fax: +7-495-3331056 E-mail: [email protected] PhD. Marina Mityagina, Senior Scientist at the Russian Space Research Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences Main research areas: Remote sensing of the Ocean, radar modeling, oil pollution, coastal zone Address: Profsoyuznaya str. 4/32, 117997Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7-495-3335078 Fax: +7-495-3331056 E-mail: [email protected] Tatyana Bocharova, Scientific researcher at the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences Main research areas: Remote sensing of the Ocean, oil pollution, coastal zone Address: Profsoyuznaya str. 84/32, 117997Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7-495-3333100 Fax: +7-495-3331056 E-mail: [email protected]

PhD. Sergey Lebedev, Senior Scientist at the Geophysical Center, Russian Academy of Sciences; State Oceanographic Institute Main research areas: Remote Sensing, Satellite Altimetry and Scatterometry Address: Molodezhnaya Str. 3, 119296, Moscow, Russia Tel.: +7-495-930-5639 Fax: +7-495-930-0506 E-mail: [email protected]

PhD. Sergey Stanichny, Head of Department at the Marine Hydrophysical Institute, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine Main research areas: Remote Sensing, Coastal Oceanography Address: Kapitanskaya str, 2, Sevastopol, Ukraine Tel.: +380 692 545065 Fax: +380 692 545065 E-mail: [email protected] Dmitry Soloviev, Junior Scientist at the Marine Hydrophysical Institute, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine Main research areas: Remote Sensing of the Sea Address: Kapitanskaya str, 2, Sevastopol, Ukraine Tel.: +380692545065, Fax: +380692554253 E-mail: [email protected]

PhD. Aleksander Sirota, Senior Scientist at the Atlantic Research Institute for Fishery and Oceanography Main research areas: Physical Oceanography, Remote Sensing, Ecosystem Dynamics Address: Dm.Donskoy Str. 5, 236000, Kaliningrad, Russia Tel.: +7 4012 925625 Fax: +7 4012 219997 E-mail: [email protected] Olga Pichuzhkina, head of Environmental Department, at LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft Main research areas: preservation of the environment Address: 23, Kievskaya Str., 236039, Kaliningrad, Russia Tel.: +7-4012-582192 Fax: +7-4012-581371 E-mail: [email protected]


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Operatyvinis nuotolinis naftos išsiliejimų monitoringas pietrytinėje Baltijos jūros dalyje: 1.5 metų patirtis Andrey Kostianoy1, Konstantin Litovchenko2, Olga Lavrova3, Marina Mityagina3, Tatyana Bocharova3, Sergey Lebedev4,5, Sergey Stanichny6, Dmitry Soloviev6, Aleksander Sirota7, Olga Pichuzhkina8 1P.P. Shirshov okeanologijos institutas, Rusija 2Rusijos erdvinių instrumentų tyrimų institutas, Rusija 3Rusijos kosminių tyrimų institutas, Rusijos mokslų akademija, Rusija 4Geofizikos centras, Rusijos mokslų akademija, Rusija 5Valstybinis okeanografijos institutas, Rusija 6Jūrinis hidrofizikos institutas, Ukrainos valstybinė mokslų akademija, Ukraina 7Atlanto žuvininkystės ir okeanografijos tyrimų institutas, Rusija 8LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft, Rusija

(gauta 2006 m. birželio mėn.; atiduota spaudai 2006 m. gruodžio mėn.)

2003 metų birželio mėnesį LUKOIL-Kaliningradmorneft inicijavo bandomąjį projektą, siekiant atlikti kompleksinį monitoringą pietrytinei Baltijos jūros daliai. Šis projektas buvo susijęs su planuojama naftos gamybos pradžia Rusijos žemyniniame šelfe 2004 metų kovo mėnesį. Nuo 2004 metų birželio iki 2005 metų lapkričio monitoringas buvo atliktas pasitelkus kasdienį palydovinį nuotolinį fiksavimą (AVHRR NOAA, MODIS, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, ENVISAT ASAR ir RADARSAT SAR vaizdai) jūros paviršiaus temperatūrai (SST), jūros lygiui, chlorofilų koncentracijai, vidutinių dydžių dinamikai, vėjui ir bangoms ir naftos dėmėms nustatyti. Gauta kompleksinė informacija apie jūros taršą naftos produktais, SST, suspenduotų dalelių sklaidą, chlorofilų koncentraciją, jūros tėkmės ir meteorologinius parametrus. Iš viso buvo aptiktos 274 naftos išsiliejimo vietos: 230-yje ASAR ENVISAT vaizdų (400x400 km, 75 m/taškelių rezoliucija) ir 17-oje SAR RADARSAT vaizdų (300x300 km, 25 m/taškelių rezoliucija), gautų per 18 mėnesių. Naudotas sąveikaujantis skaitmeninis modelis Seatrack Web SMHI (Švedijos hidrologijos ir meteoroligijos institutas) prognozuojant tėkmę: (1) visų didelių naftos dėmių, aptiktų pasitelkus ASAR ENVISAT, pietrytinėje Baltijos jūros dalyje ir (2) tariamų (įsivaizduojamų) naftos dėmių, susidarančių iš D-6 platformos. Pastarosios dėmės sudarytos remiantis operatyvine avarijos ir avarijos pasekmių šalinimo veiksmų plano korekcija D-6 platformoje ir ekologinės rizikos įvertinimu (jūros ir Kuršių nerijos tarša nafta). Tikriausiai dėl naftos dėmės tėkmės Kuršių nerijos link jos dalis prilyginama iki 67%, bet tik pusėje atvejų naftos dėmės galėjo pasiekti krantą per 48 valandas po atsitiktinio 10 m3 naftos išsiliejimo.

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Operational satellite monitoring of oil spill pollution in the southeastern Baltic sea

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