Work Packages 3

WP3 will be dedicated to the processing of satellite images for the identification of oil spills.
The bibliographic research as well as the technical/modeling efforts will be mainly focused on the use of SAR (Synthetic Aperture RADAR) satellite images. In fact, from the examination of the literature and the previous experience of the LP and PP2 in the image processing field, oil spills are more successfully identified using SAR images, i.e. acquired by the so-called synthetic aperture RADAR systems: active systems (the sensor itself sends electromagnetic pulses - EM towards the investigated surface) operating in the microwave field.
In fact, oils, due to their chemical-physical characteristics, attenuate marine capillarity and due to the lateral acquisition geometry of SAR systems, the surface with attenuated capillarity behaves like a smooth surface where a specular reflection of EM pulses occurs which limits the echo of the signal towards the sensor (dark patches).
Since the identification of oil spills using SAR images is limited by multiple factors that determine the occurrence of false negatives and false positives, it will be necessary to test the image processing algorithm on a test dataset and the joint use of other types of satellite images.
The test dataset will therefore be made up of satellite images acquired at the same time as confirmed oil spill events.
The oil spill identification methodologies suggested by the examination of the scientific literature will be implemented and the methodology that is the best will be tested on this dataset.
Single image approaches or approaches based on the examination of time series will be tested; threshold algorithms, classifications, approaches based on single polarization or multi-polarization.
A 'current' dataset will also be created in order to apply the algorithmic chain and identify recent or ongoing accidental and/or deliberate spills in the westMED Italy-Malta-Tunisia area.
The locations of any spills identified in this phase will be taken into consideration as hot spots for WP4 activities.
The processing of SAR images and other satellite images, as well as the creation of datasets, are activities that will be carried out by the LP and PP2. PP5 will take care of satellite image storage.