Professional Documents
Culture Documents
COntents
Purpose
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Introduction
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Aerial photography
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20
Other phenomena
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10
Oil
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Reference material
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PurPOse
To assist persons involved in the observation and
IntrOduCtIOn
Accurate reporting of an oil spill is fundamental to achieving
a successful response operation.
On scene weather
parts of oil to one million parts of water (15 ppm). Oil/oily mixtures
The observing aircraft should fly the perimeter of the polluted area at
a constant altitude with the GPS operating.
Weather conditions
Code
Description of Appearance
Approx
Thickness (m)
Approx Litres
per K m2
SHEEN
0.04 to 0.30
40-300
RAINBOW
0.30 to 5.0
300-5,000
METALLIC
5.0 to 50
5000-50,000
50 to 200
50000 200,000
>200
>200,000
Other
MOUSSE OR EMULSION
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Very thin films of oil reflect the incoming light slightly better than the
surrounding water and can therefore be observed as a silvery or grey
sheen. All oils in these thin layers can be observed due to this effect and
not the oil colour itself. Oil films below approximately 0.04 m thickness are
invisible. In poor viewing conditions even thicker films may not be observed.
Above a certain height or angle of view the observed film may disappear.
oils will appear black. The broken nature of the colour, due to thinner
areas within the slick, is described as discontinuous, This is caused
by the spreading behaviour under the effects of wind and current.
Discontinuous should not be mistaken for coverage. Discontinuous
implies true colour variations and not non-polluted areas.
A level layer of oil in the rainbow region will show different colours
through the slick because of the change in angle of view. Therefore
if rainbow is present, a range of colours will be visible.
The true colour of the specific oil is the dominant effect in this category.
A more homogenous colour can be observed with no discontinuity
as described in Code 4. This category is strongly oil type dependent
and colours may be more diffuse in overcast conditions.
For oil slicks thicker than 50 m the true colour will gradually dominate
the colour that is observed. Brown oils will appear brown, black
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25%
25%
50%
50%
75%
75%
25%
50%
75%
This area of oil absorbs energy and deadens out surface waves, making
the area appear smoother compared with the surrounding water.
Wind
direction
Windrows
Figure 1
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Recoverable oil: Oil in a thick layer on the water that can be recovered
by conventional techniques and equipment. Only black or dark brown
oil, mousse, and heavy sheens (which are dull brown in colour) are
generally considered to be thick enough to be effectively recovered
by skimmer equipment.
Tarballs: Weathered oil that has formed pliable balls or patches that
float on the water. Tarballs can range in diameter from a few millimetres
or a pinhead to 30 centimetres. Depending on how weathered, or
hardened, the outer layer of the tarball is, sheen may or may not be
present.
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NO
YES
NO
YES
Grey/black shadow on water surface, usually moving
- Cloud shadow
Deadening
NO
- Algal bloom
Colour/Texture
Dark, frothy, transparent, rainbows, contain tarballs?, etc. (see definitions)
Frothy brown to orange, may contain tar-balls - Weathered oil (mousse emulsion)
Spreads to sheens and evaporates quickly, variety
of colours from transparent to blue and rainbows - Fresh spill of a light oil
Black to dark brown patches - Fresh spill of a heavy fuel oil
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AerIAl PhOtOGrAPhy
It is important to capture an image of the slick emanating from the
suspect vessel and clean water ahead of the vessel.
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Close-up of spill
5
Sectioned
5 nm
4
12
Sectioned
11
9
Sectioned
10
10 nm or
full length
of spill
Source: Coastwatch
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Source: Coastwatch
Source: Coastwatch
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Source: Coastwatch
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Source: Coastwatch
Position 5, 10 & 12: Close up shot of the stern used to identify the vessel (other photographs which clearly identify the vessels name and
IMO number are also acceptable).
Sectioned photographs along side of the vessel. May show discharge or activity on board that will be useful for
assessors of the photos to indicate what operations are being undertaken by the ship.
Source: Coastwatch
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OIL
1:
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2:
3:
Source: NOAA
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4:
5.
Source: AMSA
Source: WADOT
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6:
7:
Source: AMSA
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8:
OTHER PHENOMENA
Source: AMSA
Source: AMSA
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Source: Coastwatch
Source: Coastwatch
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Source: NOAA
Source: ITOPF
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Source: ITOPF
Source: NOAA
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Source: Coastwatch
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Source: Coastwatch
Source: Coastwatch
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where tO rePOrt
ObservAtIOns
Report marine pollution incidents
from ships to the Australian Maritime
Safety Authority:
Phone:
Fax:
62349
referenCe mAterIAl
AMSA - The National Plan to Combat Pollution of the Sea by Oil and Other Noxious and
Hazardous Substances
Bonn Agreement - Bonn Agreement Oil Appearance Code (BAOAC). (2007) Manual. Oil Pollution
At Sea. Securing Evidence On Discharges From Ships Bonn Agreement Contracting Parties.
(1993)
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Whats that slick. (pamphlet 1996)
International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation (http://www.itopf.com)
- Aerial Observation Of Oil. Technical Information Paper Number 1. (2009)
- Fate of Marine Oil Spills Technical Information Paper Number 2 (2002)
Netherlands. Ministry of Transport, Public Works and Water management - Visibility limits of
oil discharges. Investigation into the visibility limits of operational oil discharges from ships. (1992)
National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration - Open Water Oil Identification Job Aid For
Aerial Observation, USA NOAA/ORCA. (1996)
Oil Spill Intelligence Report - The OSIR Reference Guide Cutter Information Corp. USA. (1993)
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