**Remote Sensing and Environmental Sensitivity for Oil Spill in the Amazon, Brazil**

Milena Andrade¹ and Claudio Szlafsztein² *¹Federal University of Pará, Amazon Advance Studies (NAEA) ²Federal University of Pará, Center of Environment (NUMA) Brazil* 

#### **1. Introduction**

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The use of remote sensing has become a fundamental tool for the identification and analysis of different types of risks in coastal zones. The numerous and, in some cases, recent incidents of oil spills have encouraged companies and government agencies to improve methods, both anticipatory and corrective, to minimize damages. The term 'risk' denotes the possibility that adverse effects may occur as a result of natural events or human activities (Kates et al., 1985). Risk is defined as an association between the hazard´s characteristics (e.g. frequency, magnitude and location) and the vulnerability of affected human populations, environment and infrastructure (Wisner et al., 2004). Risk can be classified by their origin, such as natural, social, or technological (Renn, 2008). Oil spills are an example of the last category, and the coastal areas are one of the most impacted. Environmental sensitivity to oil impacts can be defined through the coastal Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI), which considers: (i) the geomorphologic aspects such as type and slope of coastline and the degree of exposure to the energy of waves and tides; (ii) oil sensitive biological resources; and (iii) the socio-economic activities that can be affected by oil spills (Gundlach & Hayes, 1978; Dutrieux et al., 2000).

In Brazil, environmental sensitivity mapping has been carried out under the law 9966/2000, which gave the Ministry of the Environment (Climate Change and Environmental Quality Secretary) responsibility to identify, locate and define the boundaries of ecologically sensitive areas with respect to the spill of oil and other dangerous substances in waters within national jurisdiction. This way, based on PETROBRAS (2002) and NOAA (2002), the specifications and technical standards for preparing environmental sensitivity maps for oil spills in coastal and marine zones was elaborated upon (MMA, 2002). Such environmental sensitivity maps provide information in an easy format being useful to determine priorities to impact protection and mitigation. Identification and mapping is developed at three levels: (i) Strategic (1:500,000 for the entire area of a hydrographical basin); (ii) Tactical (1:150,000 for the entire coastline mapped); and (iii) Operational (up to 1:50,000 for a highrisk/sensitivity areas). Each of these mapping scales uses specific tools for remote sensing and GIS tools.

The Amazonian coastal zone extends along ~2250 km, not including the several inlets, islands and small estuaries, which punctuate the coastline (Souza Filho et al., 2005a). This

Remote Sensing and Environmental Sensitivity for Oil Spill in the Amazon, Brazil 311

the environment. Therefore, from 2004 to 2010, a large group of scientists were grouped in PIATAM-Mar project "Potential Environmental Impacts and Risks of the Oil and Gas Industry", financially supported by PETROBRAS1, to map and analyse the vulnerability of the Amazonian coastline oil related disasters. Since 2012, the project "Elaboration of Environmental Sensitivity Maps (SAO maps) for oil spills in Pará-Maranhão and Barreirinhas Basins", founded by the National Research Council of Brazil (CNPQ) has been

Remote sensing and GIS are principal tools aimed to enhance basic socio and environmental knowledge about Amazonian coast. Maps were prepared in strategic and tactical scales through the use of digital elevation models derived from the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission) and optical sensors data (Cohen & Lara, 2003; Souza Filho & El Robrini, 2000; Souza Filho, 2005; Szlafsztein & Sterr, 2007; Silva et al., 2009), synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data (Souza Filho & Paradella, 2002 and 2005; Costa 2004; Souza Filho et al., 2005b; Silva et al., 2009), and the combination of some of them (Souza Filho &

Oil spill environmental sensitivity maps, adapted to the peculiarities of the Amazonian region (Souza Filho et al., 2004) were drawn at tactical scales through the use of Radarsat and Landsat sensors (Gonçalves et al., 2009; Teixeira & Souza Filho 2009; Boulhosa & Souza Filho, 2009), and operational scale through the use of High Resolution remote sensing (Andrade et al., 2010; Rodrigues & Szlafsztein 2010; Andrade et al., 2009). Over the past decade were reached advances in identification and assessment of sensitivity through spatial maps, the impacts to oil spill analyses, and oil spill risk in Amazonian coastal. The goal of this book chapter is to present a review of the oil spills environmental sensitivity mapping activities using remote

Paradella, 2005; Gonçalves et al., 2009; Rodrigues & Souza Filho, 2011).

sensing and GIS tools in the Amazonian coastal zone of Brazil.

**2. Remote sensing and coastal environmental sensitivity for oil spill** 

Remote sensing tools are essential for the construction of maps. These tools help in the precise delimitation of coastlines and specific landforms. The selection of appropriate remote sensing data and applicable digital image processing techniques involves a compromise between costs and mapping capabilities, including coverage area, and spatial

For risk maps, remote sensing are fundamental. Risk appears in a broader context in humans transform of the natural into a cultural environment, with the aim of improving living conditions and serving human wants and needs (Turner et al., 1990). There are several sources of hazards to the environment and to society, some of them originated in human

Oil spills are an example of this technological risk. Information and detection about oil spills can be collected through remote sensing tools for prevention planning, as well as river/ocean pollution monitoring and restoration. Some reviews of the use of remote

sensing and oil spills including Brekke & Solberg (2005) and Fingas & Brown (2000).

developed with similar objectives.

**2.1 Remote sensing** 

resolution (Green, 2000).

activities (Smith & Petley, 2008).

1 PETROBRAS is the large oil company in Brazil

coastal zone is placed in the context of the tropical humid regions, in a low-lying area with active processes of erosion, sedimentation and neotectonics. Also, it is marked by a great hydrologic influence; in a meso- to macrotidal area (Souza Filho, 2005). It is a high-density drainage network, in which the Amazon River discharges a volume of water of 6.3 trillion m³/year and of sediment estimated at 1.2 billion tons/year (Meade et al., 1985).

Such environmental characteristics are responsible for the development of an extensive mud plain and mangrove area which is located in three States (Amapá, Pará and Maranhão), is approximately 8,386 km² wide, and contains 80% of all mangroves in Brazil (Herz, 1991). Where macrotides are present, the area of a flooded mangrove may extend for up to 30 km inland, and the estuaries themselves as much as 80 km (Souza Filho, 2005) (Figure 1). These extensive mud and mangroves plains are considered to be one of the most sensitive areas to oil spills. Also, these mangroves are along national and international ships routes. Transportation and storage are mainly responsible for oil spills in Amazonian coastal zone, since there is no expressive exploration. In 2001, in the state of Pará, approximately 1900 tons of oil sank near the Port of Vila do Conde (Berredo et al., 2001).

Fig. 1. Amazonian coastal zone in radar SRTM representation (source: modified from Souza Filho et al., 2005a)

In this sense, researches from Federal University of Pará have been working on several projects since 2001 aiming to study the Amazonian coastline and the impact of oil spills on the environment. Therefore, from 2004 to 2010, a large group of scientists were grouped in PIATAM-Mar project "Potential Environmental Impacts and Risks of the Oil and Gas Industry", financially supported by PETROBRAS1, to map and analyse the vulnerability of the Amazonian coastline oil related disasters. Since 2012, the project "Elaboration of Environmental Sensitivity Maps (SAO maps) for oil spills in Pará-Maranhão and Barreirinhas Basins", founded by the National Research Council of Brazil (CNPQ) has been developed with similar objectives.

Remote sensing and GIS are principal tools aimed to enhance basic socio and environmental knowledge about Amazonian coast. Maps were prepared in strategic and tactical scales through the use of digital elevation models derived from the SRTM (Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission) and optical sensors data (Cohen & Lara, 2003; Souza Filho & El Robrini, 2000; Souza Filho, 2005; Szlafsztein & Sterr, 2007; Silva et al., 2009), synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data (Souza Filho & Paradella, 2002 and 2005; Costa 2004; Souza Filho et al., 2005b; Silva et al., 2009), and the combination of some of them (Souza Filho & Paradella, 2005; Gonçalves et al., 2009; Rodrigues & Souza Filho, 2011).

Oil spill environmental sensitivity maps, adapted to the peculiarities of the Amazonian region (Souza Filho et al., 2004) were drawn at tactical scales through the use of Radarsat and Landsat sensors (Gonçalves et al., 2009; Teixeira & Souza Filho 2009; Boulhosa & Souza Filho, 2009), and operational scale through the use of High Resolution remote sensing (Andrade et al., 2010; Rodrigues & Szlafsztein 2010; Andrade et al., 2009). Over the past decade were reached advances in identification and assessment of sensitivity through spatial maps, the impacts to oil spill analyses, and oil spill risk in Amazonian coastal. The goal of this book chapter is to present a review of the oil spills environmental sensitivity mapping activities using remote sensing and GIS tools in the Amazonian coastal zone of Brazil.
