Helicopter-borne NMR for detection of oil under sea-ice

Mobile nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) operating in Earth's magnetic field is adapted to detect leaked or spilled oil trapped in or under sea ice without the need to place any personnel on the ice. A helicopter placed a 6-meter diameter NMR coil system weighing approximately 1000 kg on 92 cm-thick ice surrogate and detected the equivalent of 1 cm thick oil under the ice surrogate in 3–1/2 min. •Non-invasive detection of crude oil trapped in/under Arctic sea ice•Nuclear magnetic resonance in Earth's magnetic field•Helicopter borne detection that places no personnel on ice•Measurement of 30 square-meter area takes 3–1/2 min•Detect 1 cm average thickness of oil through ice thickness of 0.8 m