ASTM F1779-20

This document is not an ASTM standard and is intended only to provide the user of an ASTM standard an indication of what changes have been made to the previous version. Because
it may not be technically possible to adequately depict all changes accurately, ASTM recommends that users consult prior editions as appropriate. In all cases only the current version
of the standard as published by ASTM is to be considered the official document.
Designation: F1779 − 08 (Reapproved 2014) F1779 − 20
Standard Practice for
Reporting Visual Observations of Oil on Water from Aircraft
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1779; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope
1.1 This practice covers methods of reporting and recording visual observations of oil on water and related response activities.
1.1 This practice applies only to covers methods of reporting and recording visual observations of oil on water and related
response activities from an airplane or helicopter. While a similar set of codes could be used for classifying oil on beaches, this
subject is not discussed in this practice. It does not cover the use of remote-sensing equipment from aircraft, which is discussed
in a separate standard. This does not include observations of dispersed oil.
1.2 This practice is applicable for all types of oil under a variety of environmental and geographical situations.
1.3 Visual observations of oil on water from the air involve a number of safety issues associated with the operation of airplanes
or helicopters at low altitudes. These are not dealt with in this practice, but the observer should be aware of the hazards of such
operations.
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility
of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.6 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
F2534 Guide for Visually Estimating Oil Spill Thickness on Water
3. Significance and Use
3.1 This practice can be used by surveillance and tracking staff to report visual observations. The data produced from such
observations will provide the basis for preparing maps of the oil-slick location.
3.2 This practice provides a procedure for reporting the visual observation of oil on water in a systematic manner and in a
common format.
3.3 This practice deals with the possibility that materials other than oil might be confused with oil when using visual observation
methods.
3.4 Local weather, including sea conditions, should be included in the reports.
4. Observational Methods
4.1 The basic information needed from a visual observation program includes the slick size and location, as well as its
characteristics and shape. The location (preferably determined by GPS) and some aspects of the effectiveness of a response
This practice is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F20 on Hazardous Substances and Oil Spill Responseand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F20.16
on Surveillance and Tracking.
Current edition approved March 1, 2014Feb. 1, 2020. Published March 2014March 2020. Originally approved in 1997. Last previous edition approved in 20082014 as
F1779 – 08.F1779 – 08(2014). DOI: 10.1520/F1779-08R14.10.1520/F1779-20.
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959. United States
F1779 − 20
operation can be easily determined from an aerial platform. Reports on the presence of wildlife and the proximity of oil to
environmentally sensitive areas are useful information that can be generated from overflights.
4.2 Observers of oil on water will generally use either a helicopter or a small fixed-wing airplane. The planes shall be capable
of slow-speed flight (120 to 240 km/h; 60 to 120 knots) for extended periods of time and have good forward and side visibility.
The aircraft shall have adequate range and endurance consistent with the size and location of the spill.
4.3 Standard maps shall be provided to the observers, so that their data can be easily transferred to a single map or map set for
reporting and dissemination. The same maps should be used by the command team and the observers. These maps can be based
on marine charts, topographic maps or special maps produced for the spill. Useful scales vary from 1:10000 to 1:50000. It is
difficult to plot information to the required accuracy using maps of a larger scale.
4.4 The flight path shall be shown on all maps. The actual flight path should be recorded on GPS and can be transferred to the
map(s) later. An initial proposed flight path should be prepared prior to the flight. During the flight, deviations from this plan may
be necessary in order to observe the total area of the slick.
4.5 Typical flight altitudes range from 100 to 1000 m depending on the type of the spill and on the cloud ceiling at flight time.
There are flight safety considerations associated with low-altitude flying.
4.6 The best angle to observe an oil slick is directly above it looking straight down. This is known as a nadir observation. The
flight path should be adjusted, wherever possible, to provide observers with a nadir view of the slick. For most fixed-wing aircraft,
it is not possible to observe directly downwards, and therefore the flight path should be chosen to allow for observation of the spill
at as near the vertical as possible.
5. Methods of Reporting
5.1 Reporting Needs—There are a number of characteristics of the slick that shall be reported in order to provide the user of
visual observations with the appropriate amount of information. The following characteristics shall be reported for each slick that
is observed during a reconnaissance flight. These observations are a snap-shot in time. Both the location and characteristics of an
oil slick change rapidly. In order to be useful for responders, the information should be available a short time after it is obtained
(typically less than 3 h).
5.2 Color of Slick—This shall be reported as a color code, as follows:
5.2.1 Brown or Black—B.
5.2.2 Brown or Black with a red tinge signifying presence of an Emulsion or mousse— E.
5.2.3 Rainbow sheen —R.
5.2.4 Grey or Silver Grey sheen—G.
5.3 Percentage Coverage and Character of Slick—Percentage of area as described that is covered by oil.
5.3 The character of the distribution of the slick shall be noted such as follows:
5.3.1 Windrows—W.
5.3.2 Continuous—C.
5.3.3 Tar Balls—T.
5.3.4 Pancakes—P.
5.4 Percentage Coverage—Percentage of area as discribed in terms of color and character, that is covered by oil (if possible).
5.5 The eight parameters in 5.2 and 5.45.3 give a description of the oil slick.
5.6 Slick Features—If the leading edge of the slick can be identified, is should be noted as a heavy line.
5.7 The preceding data complete the description of the slick, as it would be placed on a base map.
5.8 Other Properties—There are a number of secondary related features that can be easily observed during a reconnaissance
flight, and should be reported on the surveillance map, if appropriate. This recording of such information yields additional useful
data from a surveillance flight. These observations include:
5.8.1 Mechanical re
...