Estimation of average surface currents from ERS SAR images of oil-tank cleaning spills

摘要: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) images from ERS-1/2 have been used to study current-induced perturbations of spill bands in the Kuroshio east Taiwan, stemming ballast water several ships that had dumped after cleaning tanks during movement respective ship parallel Taiwan’s coast. Under weak winds, variable surface currents normal a ship’s track were main cause displacement spills relative straight line. The associated with interaction island Lutao and ocean bottom variations as well vortex structures different scales, which observed near boundary. average current velocity was determined by dividing magnitude its residence time, turn inferred distance supposed velocity. shear zones manifested themselves on SAR narrow light lines. Sharp shifts at crossing estimates shear, based shifts, agree published data. width band May 20th, 1994, distances ship, found sections it. change function time may be approximated power an exponent about 0.86.