Small synthetic aperture radar satellite constellations for tracking oil spills

After a short introduction to the Totally Integrated Maritime Traffic Surveillance System concept this paper examines the key issues related to three main problems concerning oil pollution at sea: the early detection of accidental oil spills; the progress of oil spills to support containment and/or clean-up intervention; and the identification of culprits in the case of intentional discharges, for law enforcement purposes. The contribution made by advanced remote sensing satellite constellations, equipped with a complement of suitable instruments, is discussed for the specific test cases of the Mediterranean Basin and the North Sea. The key system features which enable an effective monitoring of both oil spills and the identification of the ships responsible for environmental damages are also discussed in some detail. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.