Oil Detection In and Under Sea Ice


Project Goal

To develop a non-invasive method of detecting oil in and under sea ice



Timeline

November 2004
CRREL lab tests in New Hampshire
The primary goal of this step was to determine if GPR and ethane sensors were a possibility in oil detection in and under thin ice


Project information from November 2004


April 2005
The first outdoor test was performed in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska with the following purposes:
  1. To determine whether the equipment could handle the Arctic temperatures
  2. Test the ability of the GPR equipment, from the CRREL tests, to make accurate measurements of year-old sea ice

Project information from April 2005


March 2006
Photo of Longyearbyen(Svalbad, Norway)
An experimental spill on Svalbard (Norway) was conducted with three main engineering and scientific research components.
  1. Oil and ice detection (remote sensing)
  2. Fate and behavior of oil in ice
  3. Countermeasure evaluation (in-situ burn)

Project information from March 2006

June 2006
In-situ burn occurs


Project Information from November 2004

Key findings:
  1. Equipment appears to work for thin ice and cold, but not Arctic conditions
  2. Results imply that a radar system can be developed to locate oil in and under ice



Project Information from April 2005

Key Findings:
  1. The equipment was capable of performing in Arctic temperatures.
  2. Salinity in sea ice proved to not allow readings in some areas(primarily on road)

Pictures from April 2005



Project Information from March 2006

Boise State University was involved with the oil and ice detection during the March 2006 spill and specifically worked on:
  1. Testing GPR in 200 - 1,000 Hz frequency range for oil detection under sea ice of approximate thickness of 1m. Airborne and surface radar systems were tested.
  2. Testing currently available acoustic technology as proof of concept.
Key Findings
  1. Distinct phase shift for surface radar at 500 MHz for oil vs no oil.
    2. Above is a 3D image of the ice/water interface before the oil was added Above is a 3D image of the ice/water interface after the oil is added
    Below is a 2D image of the ice/water interface before the oil was added Below is a 2D image of the ice/water interface after the oil was added

  2. Radar accurately measured ice and snow thickness from surface
  3. Airborne radar unable to detect ice/water interface or "see" oil
  4. Airborne radar gave detailed profile of snow/ice interface and demonstrated a high potential to map oil under snow on ice surface
  5. Acoustics showed mix results related to ice in homgeneity

Future Plans based on results
  1. Test different frequency for airborne radar system
  2. Further analysis of data from surface radar
  3. Develop a model for oil detection in and under sea ice

Pictures from March 2006