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Potential for commercial PlanetScope satellites in oil response monitoring
Citation:
Schaeffer, B., P. Whitman, R. Conmy, W. Salls, M. Coffer, D. Graybill, AND M. Lebrasse. Potential for commercial PlanetScope satellites in oil response monitoring. MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN. Elsevier Science Ltd, New York, NY, 183:114077, (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.114077
Impact/Purpose:
This study demonstrated that PlanetScope optical satellite imagery could be used to detect surface oil at the MC20 site in the Gulf of Mexico. More importantly, the spatial and temporal potential of PlanetScope was quantified for the continental US, Hawaii, and northern latitudes including Alaska. The increased frequency of near daily observations at high resolution is unique and may reduce the monitoring complexities that arise with varied surface oil appearances across different satellite sensors. There is no need to task these satellites like other commercial high-resolution satellites.It is important to acknowledge that PlanetScope is not freely available for government operations based on the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition program, such as during oil spill event response and this may limit use and access.
Description:
Extraction of petroleum oil resources may result in oil spills in the aquatic environment. Active and passive satellites are generally limited in either spatial coverage, temporal revisit periods, or spatial resolution when tracking surface oil slicks. PlanetScope passive satellites are reported to have near daily global coverage at a resolution of 3.5 m at nadir. These satellites may complement monitoring and fill temporal gaps by leveraging sun glint caused by the nadir viewing angle. Here, we demonstrate potential for PlanetScope satellite usage by investigating overpass timing and sun glint intensity. The United States potential for use was greatest during summer solstice and at lower latitudes. When combined with other high-resolution active and passive satellites, PlanetScope coverage added an average of 86.3 days each year from January 2018 through December 2020, as demonstrated at the Mississippi Canyon Block 20 Saratoga Platform site in the Gulf of Mexico.
URLs/Downloads:
DOI: Potential for commercial PlanetScope satellites in oil response monitoring
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36084611/