The PRIMI Project: August-September 2009 validation cruise on

oil spill detection and fate

R. Santoleri and the PRIMI Cruise Group

Istituto di Scienze dell’Atmosfera e del Clima – UOS RomaVia del Fosso del Cavaliere, 100 – 00133 Roma

r.santoleri@isac.cnr.it;

PRIMI CRUISEPRIMI CRUISE

The PRIMI project, funded by the Italian Space Agency (ASI) has implemented an observation and forecast system to monitor marine pollution from hydrocarbon oil spills (OS) in the Italian Seas. PRIMI Partners: E-GOES, CNR-ISAC, INGV, UNIPO, ACS, FlyBy, INNOVA

The PRIMI cruise is part of the validation activity of PRIMI project.The PRIMI Cruise was also funded by CNR and organized by CNR-ISAC.PRIMI and non-PRIMI institutions have participated in the PRIMI system validation cruise: CNR-ISAC UOS Roma ASI Centro di Geodesia Spaziale, MateraINGV, BolognaE-GEOS, Matera ENEA, Frascati & Casaccia & Santa TeresaUniversità Piemonte Orientale Univ. Parthenope, NapoliUniv. Bologna, BolognaCNR-ISSIA, BariCNR-ISMAR, La Spezia CNR-IAMC UOS Oristano & UOS Napoli

CRUISE OBJECTIVESCRUISE OBJECTIVES

1. To verify the accuracy of the oil slick detection by satellite

2. To verify the accuracy of the oil slick forecasting system

3. To release drifters into an oil slick and verify how they follow the slicks

4. To acquire in situ RADAR and LIDAR marine data in presence of oil spills

5. To collect oil spill water samples to analyze hydrocarbon composition, density and concentration

6. To acquire bio-ottical data of the area, for satellite algorithm validation (also in and out of OS)

7. To acquire surface mateo-marine data and R/V Urania navigation data for validation of SAR wind and ship detection products

8. To acquire hydrographic , biochemical and bilogical data of the area

The main cruise objective was to visit oil slicks detected by the PRIMI SAR and Optical Observation Modules and whose displacement was predicted by the PRIMI Forecast Module, in order to validate PRIMI system during operation. In particular:

CRUISE AREACRUISE AREA

The Cruise area was chosen on the basis of the high frequency of illegal hydrocarbon discharges inferred from historical and PRIMI project monitoring data.

The Cruise was carried out in the Seas around Sicily:

•Southern Tyrrhenian Sea•Sardinia Channel•Sicily Channel•Ionian Sea

The Cruise took place from: 6 August to 7 September 2009

CRUISE Strategy CRUISE Strategy

The cruise Plan aims to verify in situ oil spills detected by the PRIMI observation system in operation. The satellite data acquisition was planned to maximize the satellite data coverage ofCruise area.

SAR data: •ERS-2, •ENVISAT •COSMO-SkyMed

Optical data: •MODIS Aqua•MODIS Terra •MERIS ENVISAT

The cruise plan was organized in order to have the ship within the selected SAR image frames at acquisition time, so as to maximize the number of oil spills that could be monitored.

ASAR ENVITSAT COSMO SkyMeD

PRIMI Cruise DATA:PRIMI Cruise DATA:

Hydrological measurements:•CTD vertical profiles (pressure, temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, light transmission, fluorimetry)•Rosette water samples (nutrients, pigments, phytoplankton species, CDOM, DOC, dissolved O2, the latter to calibrate CTD sensors)•Oil spill drift by surface current and wind with lagrangian driftersBio-optical measurements:•SATLANTIC hyperspectral profiles of upwelling radiance and downward irradiance (350-700 nm range);Surface measurements:•Continuous meteorological standard observations (p, T, humidity, wind speed and direction); •continuous surface T and S recording•continuous current vertical profile recordingBiological and biogeochemical measurements:•Inorganic nutrients and total nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations; •Chlorophyll concentration;•Nutrients•Fluorescence measurements for Lidar validation

I-SPHERE: Iridiumlagrangian drifters

SATLANTIC optical profiler

Rosette Water Sampler (24 bottles) & CTD

INSTRUMENTATIONINSTRUMENTATION

ARGO lagrangian drifters

RADARIN SITU

Drifter UNIBO

XBT

LIDAR

PRIMI Cruise stations :PRIMI Cruise stations :

In situ station

visited oil spills

During Cruises: 30 OSs were detected by PRIMI SAR MODULE in 14 SAR passes covering the area, 8 OSs were visited by URANIA

OIL SLICK DETECTION FROM SATELLITE

PRIMI FORECAST MODULE:MEDITERRANEAN CIRCULATION MODEL (MFS)+ SUB-

BASIN MODELSOIL SPILL MODEL SIMULATION

DRIFTERS RELEASE ON THE OIL SLICK

OIL/WATER SAMPLE COLLECTION

OIL SLICK DETECTION, FORECASTING AND OIL SLICK DETECTION, FORECASTING AND SEARCHINGSEARCHING

OIL SLICK SEARCHING IN THE AREA PREDICTED

BY THE OIL SPILL MODEL(VISUAL INSPECTION, RADAR AND LIDAR)

OIL SLICK DETECTION & DECISION OIL SLICK DETECTION & DECISION

OS detection SAR reports were received on board, within two hours of acquisition (daytime images) or the following morning (nighttime images).

Each image was searched for possible oil spills by the PRIMI observation SAR and optical processing software, located at the ASI facility in Matera, Italy.

PRIMI cruise research staff decided which of the slicks should be searched on the basis of the extension of the slicks and of the distance from URANIA’s position.

Input data

Spill Date 2009-08-18

Observation Time 09:03 UTC

Slick Center Coordinate

Lat: 35.282017 Lon: 16.414566

Area 4972500 m2

Thickness (hypothesis)

0.1 mm

Density(hypothesis)

API=26 (Medium)0.898 tons/m3

Volume 45 tons

Current velocities MFS 1 hourly CURRENTS Forecast (surface currents)

Wind forcing ECMWF 6 hourly Forecast

Wind factor 0%

OIL SLICK 4: FORECASTINGOIL SLICK 4: FORECASTING

INITIAL POSITION AND INITIAL POSITION AND PREDICTED SLICK POSITIONPREDICTED SLICK POSITION8 HRS AFTER THE OBSERVATION8 HRS AFTER THE OBSERVATION

The ship was moved to the predicted oil spill position . Visual confirmation (predicted position 6 hours after the observation). Radar and lidar data acquistion in and out the slick. Radar al Lidar signal alteration over slick.

OIL SLICK 4: SEARCHINGOIL SLICK 4: SEARCHING

Lidar signal alteration over slick.

OIL SLICK 4: SEARCHINGOIL SLICK 4: SEARCHING

URANIA: LIDAR instrument

It was a well defined slick with iridescence, brown oil patches and floating tar balls.Samples were taken.

OIL SLICK 4: SAMPLES COLLECTIONOIL SLICK 4: SAMPLES COLLECTION

PREDICTED SLICK POSITION :PREDICTED SLICK POSITION :6 HRS AFTER THE OBSERVATION6 HRS AFTER THE OBSERVATION

Release a line of alternated 5 ARGO drifters and 4 I-SPHERE floats 250 m apart, along slick length, inside slick.The line pattern was chosen because of slick narrowness (approx. 50-100 m).

OIL SLICK 4: DRIFTERS RELEASE OIL SLICK 4: DRIFTERS RELEASE

PREDICTED SLICK POSITION :PREDICTED SLICK POSITION :8 HRS AFTER THE OBSERVATION8 HRS AFTER THE OBSERVATION

OIL SLICK 1: DETECTIONOIL SLICK 1: DETECTION

OS in COSMO pass

OS 1 seen from URANIA

OIL SLICK 7: DETECTIONOIL SLICK 7: DETECTION

SAR Report

OS in MODIS identified by PRIMI Optical system

OS in SAR

OIL SLICK 7: SAMPLES COLLECTIONOIL SLICK 7: SAMPLES COLLECTION.

2.0 and 2.3 g kg-1 of hydrocarbons were found in the samples

OIL SLICK 7: SEARCHING AND DRIFTERS OIL SLICK 7: SEARCHING AND DRIFTERS RELEASERELEASE

First observation

Second observation (12 hrs)

Predicted slick (12 hrs)

Predicted slick (15 hrs)

In situ Validated slick (15 hrs)

• The PRIMI cruise is the first complete in situ OS validation experiment • 8 OS’s were visited out of a total of about 30 slicks detected by SAR in

the area. Urania visual inspection and instrumental data confirmed them • Some OS detected by SAR were present in MODIS and/or MERIS

imagery when the sky was clear. • In situ inspection revealed that in some cases the OS was made of a thin

hydrocarbon film, detected visually by iridescence and absence of capillary waves and instrumentally by roughness attenuation in the onboard RADAR signal and Raman signal depression in the LIDAR data.

• The three most polluted OS’s, i.e. those which contained thick, dark oil patches and floating solid hydrocarbon particles were chosen for drifter release.

Preliminary results indicate:• PRIMI SAR and optical observational sub-Systems are able to

correctly detect not only thick but also thin-film oil spills• the maturity of the PRIMI oil spill models to forecast the trajectory of

the OS.

CONCLUSIONSCONCLUSIONS

PRIMI Cruise Group PRIMI Cruise Group

ASI : F. NirchioASI : F. NirchioCNR-ISAC: R. Santoleri, F.CNR-ISAC: R. Santoleri, F. Bignami, S. Colella, A. Pisano, E. Böhm, Bignami, S. Colella, A. Pisano, E. Böhm, G. Volpe, B. Buongiorno NardelliG. Volpe, B. Buongiorno NardelliCNR-ISMAR: A. Mercatini, A. GriffaCNR-ISMAR: A. Mercatini, A. GriffaCNR-ISSIA: G. De Carolis, M. AdamoCNR-ISSIA: G. De Carolis, M. AdamoCNR-IAMC: R. Sorgente, M. SprovieriCNR-IAMC: R. Sorgente, M. SprovieriE-GEOS: RG. Ruggeri , G. PandisciaE-GEOS: RG. Ruggeri , G. PandisciaENEA: S. Marullo, F. Colao, V. Debettio, G. Terranova, V. Rupolo, E. ENEA: S. Marullo, F. Colao, V. Debettio, G. Terranova, V. Rupolo, E. Napolitano, R. IaconoNapolitano, R. IaconoINGV: M. De Dominicis, , G. Coppini, N. PinardiINGV: M. De Dominicis, , G. Coppini, N. PinardiUNIPO: P. Trivero, M. Borasi, M. CavagneroUNIPO: P. Trivero, M. Borasi, M. CavagneroUNIBO: R. ArchettiUNIBO: R. ArchettiUNIParth: E. ZambianchiUNIParth: E. Zambianchi