Is LIDAR capabale of imaging the entire oil slick? Why haven't we seen it?

I know it can image solids very well, and can work on a gigantic scale, but I don't know how well or if it would pick up the oil throughout the water or not, and most likely not the gas (maybe?) , but it seems like it would, and it'd be a huge benefit for everyone to get a good idea of what this mess actually looks like.

And you can't say it'd cost too much to fly some planes or helicopters back and forth over the gulf scanning with technology we're already relatively familiar with...



"LIDAR: Light Detection And Ranging

-scanning infra-red laser
Laser reflections are detected at 100,000 measurements per second

...Laser reflection points, IMU and GPS data are combined, giving a point cloud with better than 5cm accuracy "

Nobody else had opinions on this?

How can I add an "UPDATE" to the threads title?


US Navy's MZ-3A Blimp to Make First Gulf Oil Spill Mission

(July 9) -- Following a monthlong journey to New Orleans from its permanent home in Yuma, Ariz., the U.S. Navy MZ-3A blimp will -- weather permitting -- today take its first flight over the gulf oil spill, according to CNN.

MZ-3A: How Does a Blimp Help the Gulf Oil Spill?

What will the MZ-3A do?

1. The blimp will help the large ships in their skimming operations by helping visually direct them to patches of oil.

2. The MZ-3A will also help monitor the gulf for signs of wildlife in distress. Because it hovers in the sky, it is seen as an excellent tool for locating animals like turtles, dolphins, birds and whales trapped in the oil spill.

Why is the MZ-3A better than helicopters and planes?

1. The MZ-3A can stay in the air for up to 12 hours, far longer than other forms of aircraft being used in the gulf.

2. The MZ-3A uses far less fuel than helicopters and planes.

They're downplaying the fact that the blimp is going up specifically to get accurate imaging of the oil.

They're only talking about how it's going to help the boats out there skimming oil off the surface... but much more help could come through many more entities if we were allowed to see the full extent of what's going on out there...

Are they going to show us anything more than just color photos of the surface of the water?
Are they going to show us anything at all?

It does look like they're going with a bottom-of-the-line model though, considering what they've got in their arsenal to keep us in line.
More PR crap?


[edit on 10-7-2010 by alaskan]

What kind of technology do these blimps have?
Here's what they disclosed was possible at least a year ago, except it was meant to spy on us, not to shed some light on something they're responsible for...

Pentagon plans blimp to spy from new heights

The giant dirigible would use radar to closely and constantly monitor activity on the ground from 65,000 feet.
March 13, 2009
...

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/8e781bbbf14b.jpg[/atsimg]

I am on the GoM. I saw a helicopter with a red pulsating light on the underneath of it. Could it be it was LIDAR?

I suppose they do not think the masses have any business knowing what is really going on. I have no doubt that area was fully mapped for everything...including metals.....before they even started this venture.