Presentation
LiDAR Oil Characterization and Automated Software Development
SessionSpill Surveillance Assets
DescriptionThe ability to characterize oil spills using pulsed laser light (Light Detection And Ranging - LiDAR) technology is in its infancy. To more fully explore and capitalize on this technology, the U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) funded a team of researchers from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory at the Stennis Space Center (NRL/SSC) was funded by to collect data in July 2018 and January 2023 at the National Oil Spill Response Research & Renewable Energy Test Facility (Ohmsett) in Leonardo, NJ.
Our primary goals were to evaluate LiDAR backscattering intensity (strength of the return signal from the various oil types and oil/emulsion thicknesses), fluorescence intensity, and polarization.
A secondary objective was to develop software to enable automated, near-real-time processing and visualization of LiDAR data sets, emphasizing oil analyses.
We will present these results and discuss how the LiDAR operated over a wide range of oil thicknesses, from a few microns up to several mm.
A key long-term goal related to this experiment is to determine if an optimized field-deployable LiDAR system would enable the measurement of the flux or total volume of oil released in the ocean in the event of an oil spill. Such a system would be of great utility to oil spill response agencies to determine what type of response is appropriate (dispersant, burning, etc.) and if the response produces the expected outcome (change of oil structure due to dispersants).
Our primary goals were to evaluate LiDAR backscattering intensity (strength of the return signal from the various oil types and oil/emulsion thicknesses), fluorescence intensity, and polarization.
A secondary objective was to develop software to enable automated, near-real-time processing and visualization of LiDAR data sets, emphasizing oil analyses.
We will present these results and discuss how the LiDAR operated over a wide range of oil thicknesses, from a few microns up to several mm.
A key long-term goal related to this experiment is to determine if an optimized field-deployable LiDAR system would enable the measurement of the flux or total volume of oil released in the ocean in the event of an oil spill. Such a system would be of great utility to oil spill response agencies to determine what type of response is appropriate (dispersant, burning, etc.) and if the response produces the expected outcome (change of oil structure due to dispersants).
Event Type
Paper
TimeThursday, May 16th8:00am - 8:20am CDT
Location298-299
Preparedness