Application of an oil spill fates model to environmental management on Georges Bank

Journal Article · Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1981 · Environ. Prof.; (United States)

OSTI ID:5629501

Anderson, E L ^[1]; Spaulding, M L

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1. Applied Science Associates, Inc., Wakefield, RI

A general discussion of the construction of an oil spill fates model and its application in environmental management for risk assessment, spill forecasting and impact assessment decision making is presented. An overview of the ASA-URI oil spill fates model which includes drifting, spreading, evaporation, dispersion, and subsurface transport is given, taking particular note of the requirements for environmental data defining the current and wind fields in the study area. A series of simulations of oil spills using three crude oils (Statfjord Norway, Venezuelan, and Nigerian) over four seasons and two spill locations within the North Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) lease area are performed and discussed in detail. Two representative spill events are modelled: a 68 million gallon well blowout of thirty days duration, and 20 million gallon tanker spill of five days duration. Oil types are defined by seven fractional partitions and specific gravity. Model output consists of the temporal and spatial distribution of surface spillets and subsurface concentrations as well as a time dependent mass balance of the oil in key environmental areas; sea surface, atmosphere, and water column. The simulations suggest that the time of spill inception is the most critical parameter in determining the spatial distributions of spilled oil, while oil type is the most important parameter in defining the partitioning of oil mass in the environment.

• OSTI ID: 5629501
• Journal Information: Environ. Prof.; (United States), Vol. 3:1,2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
GEORGES BANK
OIL SPILLS
GULF OF MAINE
SIMULATION
CONTINENTAL SHELF
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OFFSHORE OPERATIONS
PETROLEUM
RESPONSE MODIFYING FACTORS
RISK ASSESSMENT
SEASONAL VARIATIONS
WATER CURRENTS
WIND
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CURRENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
SEAS
SURFACE WATERS
VARIATIONS
020900* - Petroleum- Environmental Aspects
520200 - Environment
Aquatic- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989)