Multispectral UAS system for detecting, characterizing, and mapping oil spills on near shore environments

We have developed a UAS system that collects multispectral data in order to characterize oil slick thicknesses and emulsification ratios. This system consists on a UAS that carries multiple cameras that integrate 10 wavelength band sensors ranging from Ultra-Violet (UV) to Long Wave Infrared (LW-IR). This system has been originally tested at OHMSETT and at the MC-20 site in the Gulf of Mexico. More recently this UAS was put in operation during the Lake Washington Wellhead blowout in Louisiana. In here we present examples of how this operational tool allowed oil spill responders to efficiently deploy containments of the floating oil (booming) and to monitor the collection of the oil on real time. Moreover, using a rapid classification algorithm, the multispectral data collected by our UAS allowed us to make a detailed high resolution classification of the oil detected on the shorelines of the affected areas. The UAS also delivered near real time oil detections that were used during the spill by the NOAA oil spill science coordinators through the ERMA system. This UAS has proven its ability to detect oil on ‘hard to reach areas’ and it offers a valuable option for the evaluation of affected areas impacted by the spill. We compared the SCAT surveys with the UAS oil detections and conclude the importance of adding this UAS tool as part of the operational assessment of the spill to determine the level of impact of the spill on the nearshore environment.