Lidar fluorosensing of mineral oil spills on the sea surface

Airborne fluorosensor measurements over maritime oil spills show that this method enables a sensitive classification and quantification of surface films having a thickness in the 1-microm range. However, significant changes of the optical signature of oil occur in the presence of submicrometer films which are not yet fully understood. Possible reasons for this effect are discussed and the limitations of laser fluorosensing of small oil discharges are outlined.