This is a summary of work by Viridien, who published the full account in February 2025 [3]. Read Viridien’s article.
Spills seen from orbit
Using radar and optical data, satellites can find oil spills across wide areas of sea in near real time, by day or night and in any weather [1][2]. Automated systems pick out each slick, measure how large it is and how far it has spread, and pass that to operators, regulators and environmental teams.
A leaking wreck off Montrose
Off the Scottish coast, about 65 km east of Montrose, satellite monitoring showed a shipwreck leaking oil into a protected marine area [3][4]. Viridien identified its slicks in Sentinel-1 radar data [3]. Running their automated SeaScope system over the Sentinel-1 archive, they found 78 further detections going back to 2014 [3], and showed that the wreck was actively leaking oil between 2022 and 2024 [3].
Montrose Bank, North Sea. Animation from Viridien [3].
Finding a spill like this early, and watching it over time, can help prevent harm to local ecosystems and the wider environment.
References
- European Space Agency. Introducing the Sentinel-1 mission. ESA. https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Sentinel-1/Introducing_Sentinel-1
- Baghdady, S. M. and Abdelsalam, A. A. Ten years of oil pollution detection in the Eastern Mediterranean shipping lanes opposite the Egyptian coast using remote sensing techniques. Scientific Reports, 14, 18057, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-67983-x
- Viridien. Uncovering Hidden Hazards: Leveraging Earth Observation to Protect Marine Ecosystems. Viridien, 7 February 2025. https://www.viridiengroup.com/company/blog/uncovering-hidden-hazards-leveraging-earth-observation-protect-marine-ecosystems
- Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Firth of Forth Banks Complex Nature Conservation MPA. JNCC. https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/firth-of-forth-banks-complex-mpa/