Satellite-based tracking of oil pollution in the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman

Two oil spill events were investigated using multisensor satellite images in the Al Khafji and Al Fujairah regions. Oil slicks were characterized with Red-Green-Blue (RGB) and floating algae index (FAI) images. Oil slicks near Al Khafji were detected on April 19, 2014 by Landsat 8 and covered around 29.04 km². Sequential VIIRS and MODIS/Aqua images collected on the same day observed the same slicks, which indicated different appearances in the RGB images. Another event was recorded near Al Fujairah on May 11, 2014 by both Landsat 8 and Aqua. The total area coverage of oil slicks was 114.6 km². The estimated slick trajectories from GNOME driven by ocean circulation data from the Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) and meteorological data were assessed with the movement patterns of satellite-detected oil slicks. The average absolute percentage error of velocity of slick movement between satellite observation and GNOME simulation was 33% for both events. The directions of slick movement showed an agreement between satellite observation and model simulation in 5 out of 7 trajectories’ cases. This implies that the integration of multisensor satellite measurements and spill trajectory modeling is very helpful to forecast and predict the fate and transport of oil spills.