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Short course: Airborne Surveillance Sarah Hall, Oil Spill Response Ltd

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Introduction

Airborne surveillance - 20 minutes

1. Types of airborne sensors

2. Integrated airborne systems

3. Training of airborne surveillance

4. Challenge of the regional availability of platforms and

sensors

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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

Remote Sensing in support of oil spill response

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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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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

Types of airborne sensors

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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

3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion

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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

3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion

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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

3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion

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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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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

3 Airborne Sensor Types

for discussion

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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

Group 1 - Visual observation (human eye)

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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)

Group 2 - Thermal infrared (TIR)

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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

Group 3 - Side looking airborne radar (SLAR)

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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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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.....

Integrated airborne systems

Overview

Photographs

from

OPTIMARE,

Medusa

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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)

Integrated airborne systems

Overview

Photographs from Swedish Space Corporation, MSS6000

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Extend observations into

the night/detect

thicknesses of oil

Merging multi-sensor oil

data into a single

composite thickness map

(automated image

analysis)

Integrated airborne systems

Overview

Left – IR, Middle – UV, Right - Fusion

Photographs from OPTIMARE, Medusa

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Individual sensor processing (digitizes/stores data/geo-

references/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

Integrated airborne systems

Overview

Photographs from Swedish Space Corporation, MSS6000

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Integrated airborne systems

Advantages?

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

Disadvantages?

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

What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages to

integrated airborne systems during an oil spill?

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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

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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

Training is a critical part of

effective airborne surveillance

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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

Training is a critical part of

effective airborne surveillance

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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

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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

Challenge of the regional availability

of platforms and sensors

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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