Oil Spill Science and Technology, 2nd Edition

5.3. Oil Interaction With Light and Electronic Waves

Oil interacts with light and electromagnetic waves in certain specific ways; this can yield detectability of oil.

Several researchers have measured oil optical properties [10–14]. Weathering of oil increases the light absorption of the oil along with an increase in light scattering. An emulsion also absorbs more light and attenuates the light in the water column. Some researchers studied the ultraviolet (UV) and visible absorption of oils for analytical purposes, noting that crude oils were opaque and thus had to be diluted. The implication for remote sensing is that UV and visible signatures of oil are insufficient for characterization. The light reflectance of crude oils floating on water does ...