Computer simulation of the probability that endangered whales will interact with oil spills, Final report

Technical Report · Wed Oct 01 00:00:00 EDT 1986

OSTI ID:6884437

Reed, M; Jayko, K; Bowles, A; Anderson, E; Leatherwood, S

A numerical model system was developed to assess quantitatively the probability that endangered bowhead and gray whales will encounter spilled oil in Alaskan waters. Bowhead and gray whale migration diving-surfacing models, and an oil-spill-trajectory model comprise the system. The migration models were developed from conceptual considerations, then calibrated with and tested against observations. The distribution of animals is represented in space and time by discrete points, each of which may represent one or more whales. The movement of a whale point is governed by a random-walk algorithm which stochastically follows a migratory pathway.

• Research Organization: Dunham-Bush, Inc., Harrisonburg, VA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6884437
• Report Number(s): PB-87-121307/XAB; ASA-84-35
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
BEAUFORT SEA
OIL SPILLS
CETACEANS
HEALTH HAZARDS
CHUKCHI SEA
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
ALASKA
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
ENDANGERED SPECIES
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
POPULATIONS
SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION
TRAJECTORIES
WATER POLLUTION
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ARCTIC OCEAN
DISTRIBUTION
FEDERAL REGION X
HAZARDS
MAMMALS
NORTH AMERICA
POLLUTION
SEAS
SIMULATION
SURFACE WATERS
USA
VERTEBRATES
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)