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Remote Sensing
Volume 18
Issue 8
10.3390/rs18081189
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Characterization of Oil Slicks on the Gulf of Mexico’s Sea Surface Using Spatial Attributes from SAR Images: A Novel Approach with Phase-Space Pictures and Semivariograms

by
Gabrielle de Souza Brum
1,*,
Fernando Pellon de Miranda
2,
Tiago de Souza Mota
1,
Ítalo de Oliveira Matias
1,
Francisco Fábio de Araújo Ponte
1,
Gil Márcio Avelino Silva
2,
Carlos Henrique Beisl
3 and
Luiz Landau
4
1
ECOA Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), R. Marquês de São Vicente, 225, Gávea, Rio de Janeiro 22451-900, Brazil
2
Petrobras Research, Development and Innovation Center (CENPES), Av. Horácio Macedo 950, Cidade Universitária, Rio de Janeiro 21941-915, Brazil
3
GeoSpatial Petroleum, R. Miguel de Farias, 92, Icaraí, Niterói 24220-002, Brazil
4
Laboratory of Computational Methods in Engineering (LAMCE), Civil Engineering Program (PEC), Alberto Luiz Coimbra Institute for Graduate Studies and Research in Engineering (COPPE), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), Rio de Janeiro 21941-859, Brazil
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Remote Sens. 2026, 18(8), 1189; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081189
Submission received: 28 February 2026 / Revised: 30 March 2026 / Accepted: 3 April 2026 / Published: 15 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing for Maritime Monitoring)
Versions Notes

Abstract

This study aims to improve the process of characterizing oil on the sea surface using synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery, seeking to increase the accuracy of oil slick classification as natural or anthropogenic. A set of spatial attributes was obtained using semivariograms and phase-space pictures. This novel approach demonstrated potential to add value for monitoring seepage phenomena, which is of great scientific and environmental importance. The results achieved have potential for operational application as an aid in understanding active petroleum systems, reducing exploration risk in the decision-making process. Different targets display semivariograms with distinct geostatistical parameters, thus expressing contrasting models of spatial data correlation. The research results indicate that trajectories developed by the targets “sea”, “seepage slick”, and “oil spill” showed diagnostic behavior in their respective phase-space pictures.
Keywords: synthetic aperture radar; offshore monitoring; oil-slick detection; seepage slicks; oil spills; Cantarell; phase-space pictures; semivariograms synthetic aperture radar; offshore monitoring; oil-slick detection; seepage slicks; oil spills; Cantarell; phase-space pictures; semivariograms

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Brum, G.d.S.; de Miranda, F.P.; Mota, T.d.S.; Matias, Í.d.O.; Ponte, F.F.d.A.; Silva, G.M.A.; Beisl, C.H.; Landau, L. Characterization of Oil Slicks on the Gulf of Mexico’s Sea Surface Using Spatial Attributes from SAR Images: A Novel Approach with Phase-Space Pictures and Semivariograms. Remote Sens. 2026, 18, 1189. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081189

AMA Style

Brum GdS, de Miranda FP, Mota TdS, Matias ÍdO, Ponte FFdA, Silva GMA, Beisl CH, Landau L. Characterization of Oil Slicks on the Gulf of Mexico’s Sea Surface Using Spatial Attributes from SAR Images: A Novel Approach with Phase-Space Pictures and Semivariograms. Remote Sensing. 2026; 18(8):1189. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081189

Chicago/Turabian Style

Brum, Gabrielle de Souza, Fernando Pellon de Miranda, Tiago de Souza Mota, Ítalo de Oliveira Matias, Francisco Fábio de Araújo Ponte, Gil Márcio Avelino Silva, Carlos Henrique Beisl, and Luiz Landau. 2026. "Characterization of Oil Slicks on the Gulf of Mexico’s Sea Surface Using Spatial Attributes from SAR Images: A Novel Approach with Phase-Space Pictures and Semivariograms" Remote Sensing 18, no. 8: 1189. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081189

APA Style

Brum, G. d. S., de Miranda, F. P., Mota, T. d. S., Matias, Í. d. O., Ponte, F. F. d. A., Silva, G. M. A., Beisl, C. H., & Landau, L. (2026). Characterization of Oil Slicks on the Gulf of Mexico’s Sea Surface Using Spatial Attributes from SAR Images: A Novel Approach with Phase-Space Pictures and Semivariograms. Remote Sensing, 18(8), 1189. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs18081189

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