HETEROGENEITY OF AN OIL SPILL

Data from the Hyperspectral Imager for the Coastal Ocean (HICO) were used to investigate distribution characteristics of the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Strong reflectance in the near infrared was observed over patches of oil and at wavelengths below 0.5 µm, absorption was observed without the presence of major absorption bands. The HICO image revealed the heterogeneity in the distribution of oil and showed that dispersal and accumulation of oil may appear in streaks that vary in width and length. This distribution pattern in the form of streaks is most probably caused through formation of wind rows and as a result of accumulation in the convergence zone of internal waves.