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Coastal pollution hazards in southern California observed by SAR imagery: stormwater plumes, wastewater plumes, and natural hydrocarbon seepsStormwater runoff plumes, municipal wastewater plumes, and natural hydrocarbon seeps are important pollution hazards for the heavily populated Southern California Bight (SCB). Due to their small size, dynamic and episodic nature, these hazards are difficult to sample adequately using traditional in situ oceanographic methods. Complex coastal circulation and persistent cloud cover can further complicate detection and monitoring of these hazards. We use imagery from space-borne synthetic aperture radar (SAR), complemented by field measurements, to examine these hazards in the SCB. The hazards are detectable in SAR imagery because they deposit surfactants on the sea surface, smoothing capillary and small gravity waves to produce areas of reduced backscatter compared with the surrounding ocean. We suggest that high-resolution SAR, which obtains useful data regardless of darkness or cloud cover, could be an important observational tool for assessment and monitoring of coastal marine pollution hazards in the SCB and other urbanized coastal regions.
Document ID
20050148852
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Digiacomo, Paul M.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA United States)
Washburn, Libe
Holt, Benjamin
Jones, Burton H.
Date Acquired
August 23, 2013
Publication Date
December 1, 2004
Publication Information
Publication: Marine pollution bulletin
Volume: 49
Issue: 11-12
ISSN: 0025-326X
Subject Category
Environment Pollution
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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