Detecting mineral oil slicks in ice covered seas from space

The thinning and retreat of the arctic sea ice has led to increased human presence in Arctic seas. Marine traffic is most likely to increase in the future, as are activities such as fishing, oil and mineral exploitation. All these activities increase the risk for oil spills in ice-covered waters. Yet, the technology used to monitor for marine oil spills in the World’s oceans is not yet applicable for ice-covered seas. A new study presents a first approach to overcome this limitation.