Methods and systems for detecting a material within a region of the Earth are provided. The region may be under a surface of earthen formation, ice, snow, or water. The method may be practiced in a variety of applications, for example in an arctic region to detect oil spills, leaks, or seepages. The methods and systems may include using at least one coil to transmit a radio frequency (RF) excitation signal into the region of the Earth; and receive any NMR response signals to determine the presence of the material of interest.