title: Development of airborne oil thickness measurements.
abstract: A laboratory sensor has now been developed to measure the absolute thickness of oil on water slicks. This prototype oil slick thickness measurement system is known as the laser-ultrasonic remote sensing of oil thickness (LURSOT) sensor. This laser opto-acoustic sensor is the initial step in the ultimate goal of providing an airborne sensor with the ability to remotely measure oil-on-water slick thickness. The LURSOT sensor employs three lasers to produce and measure the time-of-flight of ultrasonic waves in oil and hence provide a direct measurement of oil slick thickness. The successful application of this technology to the measurement of oil slick thickness will benefit the scientific community as a whole by providing information about the dynamics of oil slick spreading and the spill responder by providing a measurement of the effectiveness of spill countermeasures such as dispersant application and in situ burning. This paper will provide a review of early developments and discuss the current state-of-the-art in the field of oil slick thickness measurement.
authors.affiliation: Emergencies Science and Technology Division, Environment Canada, 335 River Road, Ont., K1A 0H3, Ottawa, Canada. carl.brown@ec.gc.ca
authors.forename: Carl E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Mervin F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Fingas
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007834:Lasers; D055095:Optics and Photonics; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D014465:Ultrasonics; D014873:Water Pollutants / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D010578:Petroleum; D014873:Water Pollutants