Tier I: Visual Observations

SMART provides three levels (tiers) for monitoring the efficacy of dispersant applications. Tier I monitoring employs the simplest operation: visual observation. In Tier I monitoring, a trained observer flies over the oil slick and, using NOAA's Job Aids or advanced remote-sensing instruments, assesses the efficacy of the dispersant based on his or her visual observation. The observer then reports the observations to the Unified Command.

View of Dispersant Application The photo at left shows an observer's view of a dispersant application during the Exxon Valdez spill in March, 1989.

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Revised: July 17, 2001
Office of Response and Restoration, National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration