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ISSN 2070-7401 (Print), ISSN 2411-0280 (Online)
Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa
CURRENT PROBLEMS IN REMOTE SENSING OF THE EARTH FROM SPACE

  

Sovremennye problemy distantsionnogo zondirovaniya Zemli iz kosmosa, 2026, V. 23, No. 2, pp. 429-438

Characteristics of the evolution of an oil slick detected via satellite data in the northeastern Black Sea in April 2026

O.Yu. Lavrova 1 , E.A. Loupian 1 , A.V. Kashnitskii 1 , A.G. Kostianoy 2, 3, 4 
1 Space Research Institute RAS, Moscow, Russia
2 Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS, Moscow, Russia
3 Moscow Witte University, Moscow, Russia
4 Maykop State Technological University, Maykop, Russia
Accepted: 04.05.2026
DOI: 10.21046/2070-7401-2026-23-2-429-438
The results of a study of the unique phenomenon associated with the spreading of an oil slick in April 2026 in the northeastern Black Sea are presented. This event was unique because according to satellite observations in the visible and radio ranges of the electromagnetic spectrum, the oil slick, growing significantly in size (more than hundred times), was observed on the sea surface for at least two weeks. During the period, from 12 to 26 April, its development was monitored almost continuously. As our extensive experience in satellite monitoring of marine oil pollution shows, oil slicks evaporate, emulsify, sink, etc. over time, and if there is no constant source of oil entering the sea, they can be identified in satellite imagery for no more than two days. The local dynamics of the oil slick was analyzed using data from April 17, a single day when the slick was observed four times by various satellite systems. The article provides examples of satellite images of the oil slick obtained from 6 satellites: Sentinel 1A/C, Sentinel 2B/C, Landsat-8, Meteor-M No. 2-4, and suggests why this slick existed for so long.
Keywords: Black Sea, oil pollution, satellite radar, optical images, Anapa, Rim Current, Sentinel 1A/C C-SAR, Sentinel 2B/C MSI, Landsat-8 OLI, Meteor-M No. 2-4 KMSS
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