Effluent slicks in the Menai Strait: a comparison of ERS-1 SAR signatures and model predictions

Images from the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) on the ERS-1 satellite are compared with model predictions of the Menai Strait to demonstrate that the development of effluent slicks can be tracked using Earth observing satellites. Some of the outfalls have very small discharges (of order 100 m3day−1 and it is suggested that the SAR could be used by water regulatory authorities to monitor the degree to which marine outfalls can affect the aesthetic quality of receiving waters