MULTISENSOR SATELLITE MONITORING OF OIL POLLUTION IN NORTHEASTERN COASTAL ZONE OF THE BLACK SEA

The new approach to the problem of oil spill detection consisting in combined use of all available quasiconcurrent satellite information (AVHRR NOAA, TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, MODIS Terra/Aqua, QuikSCAT) is suggested. We present the results of the application of the proposed approach to the operational monitoring of seawater condition and pollution in the coastal zone of northeastern Black Sea conducted in 2006. This monitoring is based on daily receiving, processing and analysis of data different in nature (microwave radar images, optical and infrared data), resolution and surface coverage. These data allow us to retrieve information on seawater pollution, sea surface and air-sea boundary layer conditions, seawater temperature and suspended matter distributions, chlorophyll a concentration, mesoscale water dynamics, near-surface wind and surface wave fields. The focus is on coastal seawater circulation mechanisms and their impact on the evolution of pollutants.