A numerical oil spill model based on a hybrid method

The purpose of this paper is the development of a hybrid particle tracking/Eulerian-Lagrangian approach for the simulation of spilled oil in coastal areas. Oil discharge from the source is modeled by the release of particles. When the oil slick thickness or the oil concentration reaches a critical value, particles are mapped on slick thickness or node concentrations, and the calculations proceed in the Eulerian-Lagrangian mode. To acquire accurate environment information, the model is coupled with the 3-D free-surface hydrodynamics model (POM) and the third-generation wave model (SWAN). By simulating the oil processes of spreading, advection, turbulent diffusion, evaporation, emulsification, dissolution and shoreline deposition, it has the ability to predict the horizontal movement of surface oil slick, the vertical distribution of oil particles, the concentration in the water column and the mass balance of spilled oil. An accidental oil release near Dalian coastal waters is simulated to validate the developed model. Compared with the satellite images of oil slicks on the surface, the numerical results indicate that the model has a reasonable accuracy.     

The Eleni V oil spill: Return to normal conditions

The fate and effects of Eleni V oil spilled in May 1978 have been followed until May 1980. At a mechanically-cleaned and exposed beach the hydrocarbon concentrations of inshore water and mussel tissue returned to background values between 300 and 400 days after the beaches became visually clean. Oil remaining on the surface of a protected beach still showed little degradation compared to oil buried in a disposal pit. Even on mobile beaches subject to high wave-energy, mechanical retrieval and clean-up of such a persistent heavy fuel oil is considered necessary unless its redistribution by wave action over adjoining beaches and into sediments is considered acceptable.     

Effect of an oil spill from M V Sea Transporter on intertidal meiofauna at Goa,India

Short and long term effects of a fuel oil spill from a grounded ship "M V Sea Transporter" on meiofauna of a sandy beach of central West Coast of India were investigated. A significant reduction in the absolute abundance of meiofauna was observed immediately after 3 days of spillage particularly at Sinquerim beach, the site of spillage. The reduction was most pronounced in density of nematodes and harpacticoid copepods, which were the most dominant groups. Long-term response showed no apparent oil-induced changes at major taxa levels. The population density improved considerably after the cessation of monsoons with a parallel decrease in petroleum hydrocarbon concentration in the sediment. Nematodes recovered more quickly than benthic copepods. No evidence for this could be due to reproductive dynamics in meiobentos. Although the effect of the oil on meiofauna could be seen initially it could not be proved conclusively on a long-term basis. The effects of the oil spill were confounded with seasonal monsoon effects and beach dynamics. The nematode:copepod ratio and the index of trophic diversity (ITD) were inadequate for detecting oil pollution effects. Therefore it may be concluded that in the presence of other environmental factors acting strongly, the effects of oil on meiofauna was strong but of a temporary nature.     

Effects of oil dispersants on settling of marine sediment particles and particle-facilitated distribution and transport of oil components

This work investigated effects of three model oil dispersants (Corexit EC9527A, Corexit EC9500A and SPC1000) on settling of fine sediment particles and particle-facilitated distribution and transport of oil components in sediment-seawater systems. All three dispersants enhanced settling of sediment particles. The nonionic surfactants (Tween 80 and Tween 85) play key roles in promoting particle aggregation. Yet, the effects varied with environmental factors (pH, salinity, DOM, and temperature). Strongest dispersant effect was observed at neutral or alkaline pH and in salinity range of 0–3.5 wt%. The presence of water accommodated oil and dispersed oil accelerated settling of the particles. Total petroleum hydrocarbons in the sediment phase were increased from 6.9% to 90.1% in the presence of Corexit EC9527A, and from 11.4% to 86.7% for PAHs. The information is useful for understanding roles of oil dispersants in formation of oil-sediment aggregates and in sediment-facilitated transport of oil and PAHs in marine eco-systems.     

Coarse sediment supply sets the slope of bedrock channels in rapidly uplifting terrain: Field and topographic evidence from eastern Taiwan

The incision rate and steepness of bedrock channels depend on water discharge, uplift rate, substrate lithology, sediment flux, and bedload size. However, the relative role of these factors and the sensitivity of channel steepness to rapid (>1 mm yr⁻¹) uplift rates remain unclear. We conducted field and topographic analyses of fluvial bedrock channels with varying channel bed lithology and sediment source rock along the Coastal Range in eastern Taiwan, where uplift rates vary from 1.8 to 11.8 mm yr⁻¹ and precipitation is relatively consistent (1.5–2.7 m yr⁻¹), to evaluate the controls on bedrock channel steepness. We find that channel steepness is independent of rock uplift rate and annual precipitation but increases monotonically with sediment size and substrate strength. Furthermore, in reaches with uniform substrate lithology (mudstone and flysch), channel steepness systematically varies with sediment source rock but not with channel width. When applied to our data, a mechanistic incision model (saltation-abrasion model) suggests that the steepness of Coastal Range channels is set primarily by coarse-sediment supply. We also observe that larger particles are mainly composed of resistant lithologies derived from volcanic rocks and conglomerates. This result implies that hillslope bedrock properties in the source area exert a dominant control on the steepness of proximal channels through coarse-sediment production in this setting. We propose that channel steepness may be insensitive to uplift rate and flow discharge in fast-uplifting landscapes where incision processes are set by coarse sediment size and supply. Models assuming a proportionality between incision rate and basal shear stress (stream power) may not fully capture controls on fluvial channel profiles in landslide-dominated landscapes. Processes other than channel steepening, such as enhanced bedload impacts and debris-flow scour, may be required to balance rock uplift and incision in these transport-limited systems.     

An evaluation of beached bird monitoring approaches

Oil-pollution monitoring at sea through beach bird surveying would undoubtedly benefit from a further standardisation of methods, enhancing the efficiency of data collection. In order to come up with useful recommendations, we evaluated various approaches of beached bird collection at the Belgian coast during seven winters (1993-1999). Data received in a passive way by one major rehabilitation centre were compared to the results of targeted beach surveys carried out at different scales by trained ornithologists: 'weekly' surveys - with a mean interval of 9 days - restricted to a fixed 16.7 km beach stretch, 'monthly' surveys over the entire coastline (62.1 km) and an annual 'international' survey in Belgium over the same distance at the end of February. Data collected through Belgian rehabilitation centres concern injured, living birds collected in a non-systematical way. Oil rates derived from these centres appear to be strongly biased to oiled auks and inshore bird species, and are hence of little use in assessing the extent of oil pollution at sea. The major asset of rehabilitation centres in terms of data collection seems to be their continuous warning function for events of mass mortality. Weekly surveys on a representative and large enough section rendered reliable data on oil rates, estimates of total number of bird victims, representation of various taxonomic groups and species-richness and were most sensitive in detecting events quickly (wrecks, oil-slicks, severe winter mortality, etc.). Monthly surveys gave comparable results, although they overlooked some important beaching events and demonstrated slightly higher oil rates, probably due to the higher chance to miss short-lasting wrecks of auks. Since the monthly surveys in Belgium were carried out by a network of volunteers and were spread over a larger beach section, they should be considered as best performing. Single 'international beached bird surveys' in February gave reliable data on total victim number (once the mean ratio between numbers in various months is known) and oil rate (provided a sufficiently large sample can be collected), but failed in tracking events. It is a particularly attractive approach because of its long tradition, resulting in invaluable long-term databases, and the uniformity in which these surveys are organised on a large scale. The minimal distance for a monthly survey amounts to 25-30 km (40-50% of Belgian coastline) up to 40 km (65%) in order to attain sound figures for oil rate and species-richness, respectively. These distances are primarily determined by the number of bird corpses that may be collected and are hence a function of beaching intensity and corpse detection rate.     

Behaviour of diesel fuel on a high energy beach

On 1 March 1984, a spill of diesel fuel and gasoline on the east coast of the Queen Charlotte Islands, Canada, resulted in significant contamination of the beach. Sediment and water samples analysed for oil concentration indicated that oil moved through the beach sediments in response to the tidal cycle and the subsequent changing water table levels. Concentrations tended to be low and variable in samples collected during a flood tide as the oil was driven through the sediments to the upper beach face. On the ebb, however, concentrations increased nearly five times as oil was released from the lowering water table onto the surface of the beach face. At low tide some residual oil remained trapped in the sediments, the amount correlating with the degree of sediment sorting (i.e. sediment porosity). In spite of high wave exposure, traces of fuel remained within 300 m of the spill site after 60 days. This suggests that light, unweathered oil is not mechanically abraded and dispersed in the same manner as more weathered oil; rather the light oil is released from the beach sediments principally during an ebbing tide, and wave action probably affects the cleaning of the beach in a minor capacity.     

Distribution and concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons associated with the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill,Gulf of Mexico

We examined the geographic extent of petroleum hydrocarbon contamination in sediment, seawater, biota, and seafood during/after the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (April 20–July 15, 2010; 28.736667°N, −88.386944°W). TPH, PAHs, and 12 compound classes were examined, particularly C1-benzo(a)anthracenes/chrysenes, C-2-/C-4-phenanthrenes/anthracenes, and C3-naphthalenes. Sediment TPH, PAHs, and all classes peaked near Pensacola, Florida, and Galveston, Texas. Seawater TPH peaked off Pensacola; all of the above classes peaked off the Mississippi River, Louisiana and Galveston. Biota TPH and PAHs peaked near the Mississippi River; C-3 napthalenes peaked near the spill site. Seafood TPH peaked near the spill site, with PAHs and all classes peaking near Pensacola. We recommend that oil concentrations continued to be monitored in these media well after the spill has ceased to assist in defining re-opening dates for fisheries; closures should be maintained until hydrocarbon levels are deemed within appropriate limits.     

Interaction of oil and mineral fines on shorelines: review and assessment

The interaction of fine mineral particles with stranded oil in an aqueous medium reduces the adhesion of the oil to solid surfaces, such as sediments or bedrock. The net result is the formation of stable, micron-sized, oil droplets that disperse into the water column. In turn, the increase in surface area makes the oil more available for biodegradation. This interaction, referred to as oil–mineral aggregate (OMA) formation, can explain how oiled shorelines are cleaned naturally in the absence of wave action in very sheltered coastal environments. OMA formation also plays an important role in the efficacy of shoreline treatment techniques, such as physical mixing and sediment relocation that move oiled sediments into the zone of wave action to promote the interaction between oil and mineral fines. Successful application of these shoreline treatment options has been demonstrated at two spill events (the Tampa Bay response in Florida and the Sea Empress operation in Wales) and at a controlled oil spill experiment in the field (the 1997 Svalbard ITOSS program). Sediment relocation harnesses the hydraulic action of waves so that the processes of fine-particle interaction and physical abrasion usually occur in tandem on open coasts. There has been no evidence of significant detrimental side-effects of residual oil in pelagic or benthic environments associated with the use of these treatment options to enhance rates of dispersion and oil biodegradation.     

Oil slicks on water surface: Breakup,coalescence, and droplet formation under breaking waves

The ability to calculate the oil droplet size distribution (DSD) and its dynamic behavior in the water column is important in oil spill modeling. Breaking waves disperse oil from a surface slick into the water column as droplets of varying sizes. Oil droplets undergo further breakup and coalescence in the water column due to the turbulence. Available models simulate oil DSD based on empirical/equilibrium equations. However, the oil DSD evolution due to subsequent droplet breakup and coalescence in the water column can be best represented by a dynamic population model. This paper develops a phenomenological model to calculate the oil DSD in wave breaking conditions and ocean turbulence and is based on droplet breakup and coalescence. Its results are compared with data from laboratory experiments that include different oil types, different weathering times, and different breaking wave heights. The model comparisons showed a good agreement with experimental data.     

An empirical analysis of IOPCF oil spill cost data

This paper reports on recent analysis of oil spill cost data assembled by the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF). Regression analyses of clean-up costs and total costs have been carried out, after taking care to convert to current prices and remove outliers. In the first place, the results of this analysis have been useful in the context of the ongoing discussion within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on environmental risk evaluation criteria. Furthermore, these results can be useful in estimating the benefit of regulations that deal with the protection of marine environment and oil pollution prevention.     

Review of oil spill remote sensing

Remote-sensing for oil spills is reviewed. The use of visible techniques is ubiquitous, however it gives only the same results as visual monitoring. Oil has no particular spectral features that would allow for identification among the many possible background interferences. Cameras are only useful to provide documentation. In daytime oil absorbs light and remits this as thermal energy at temperatures 3–8 K above ambient, this is detectable by infrared (IR) cameras.     

Beach morphodynamics forcements in oiled shorelines: Coupled physical and chemical processes during and after fuel burial

In November 2002, the sinking of the Prestige oil tanker off the Galician coast (N.W. Spain) caused the largest ecological catastrophe in the history of Spain, affecting the coast called the 'Costa da Morte' (Galicia, N.W. Spain). This work is focused on the study of the oil contamination of the intertidal area of two beaches located on this stretch of coast. The study of twenty cores extracted from both beaches has identified fuel embedded in the sedimentary column up to a depth of 2.38 m (this being the maximum depth of extraction). This, along with the presence of oil below the groundwater indicates the existence of a new factor which determines the burial of oil: the morphodynamic behaviour of the beach. Furthermore, this morphodynamic variation conditions the physical appearance of the buried oil. Four different types have been identified: tar-balls (cm), particles (mm), oil coatings on sediment grains and on emulsion, with distribution patterns conditioned by the degree of wave exposure. The analysis of the information obtained have permitted the development of a conceptual model of the burial and oil evolution in the sedimentary column in relation to wave exposure, and thus to the morphodynamic variability of the beach.     

Spatial and seasonal aspects of beach stability

Recent work at three contrasting sites in England and Wales has shown characteristics atypical of those frequently reported elsewhere. These differences are:

• (a) Taking each entire beach system there is no uniform trend of erosion or accretion, nor a progressive variation in beach elevation or volume alongshore, from one survey to the next. However, for Swansea Bay the ‘long-term’ (i. e. 18 months) range in profile height along that stretch of coast where the alignment of the beach is normal to the direction of wave approach, correlates well with computed wave energy derived from relevant offshore wave directions.
• (b) While beach variability is greatest during the ‘winter’ (i. e. storm) period there is no overall tendency for a drawdown of sediment from the intertidal zone at that time. Response times are relatively short. Thus high beach levels need not necessarily be associated with ‘summer’ conditions.
• (c) Although in Swansea Bay there is a tendency for the beach height to fluctuate least at mid-tide level this is not true of the other two sites. In no area does sediment eroded from the upper exposed part of the beach regularly appear to be deposited on the lower exposed part, or vice versa.

     

Storm response of a mixed sand gravel beach ridge plain under falling relative sea levels: A stratigraphic investigation using ground penetrating radar

Beach ridge stratigraphy can provide an important record of both sustained coastal progradation and responses to events such as extreme storms, as well as evidence of earthquake induced sediment pulses. This study is a stratigraphic investigation of the late Holocene mixed sand gravel (MSG) beach ridge plain on the Canterbury coast, New Zealand. The subsurface was imaged along a 370 m shore-normal transect using 100 and 200 MHz ground penetrating radar (GPR) antennae, and cored to sample sediment textures. Results show that, seaward of a back-barrier lagoon, the Pegasus Bay beach ridge plain prograded almost uniformly, under conditions of relatively stable sea level. Nearshore sediment supply appears to have created a sustained sediment surplus, perhaps as a result of post-seismic sediment pulses, resulting in a flat, morphologically featureless beach ridge plain. Evidence of a high magnitude storm provides an exception, with an estimated event return period in excess of 100 years. Evidence from the GPR sequence combined with modern process observations from MSG beaches indicates that a palaeo-storm initially created a washover fan into the back-barrier lagoon, with a large amount of sediment simultaneously moved off the beach face into the nearshore. This erosion event resulted in a topographic depression still evident today. In the subsequent recovery period, sediment was reworked by swash onto the beach as a sequence of berm deposit laminations, creating an elevated beach ridge that also has a modern-day topographic signature. As sediment supply returned to normal, and under conditions of falling sea level, a beach ridge progradation sequence accumulated seaward of the storm feature out to the modern-day beach as a large flat, uniform progradation plain. This study highlights the importance of extreme storm events and earthquake pulses on MSG coastlines in triggering high volume beach ridge formation during the subsequent recovery period. © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Monitoring of the sediment dynamics along a sandy shoreline by means of airborne hyperspectral remote sensing and LIDAR: a case study in Belgium

Airborne hyperspectral data and airborne laserscan or LIDAR data were applied to analyse the sediment transport and the beach morphodynamics along the Belgian shoreline. Between 2000 and 2004, four airborne acquisitions were performed with both types of sensor. The hyperspectral data were classified into seven sand type classes following a supervised classification approach, in which feature selection served to reduce the number of bands in the hyperspectral data. The seven classes allowed us to analyse the spatial dynamics of specific sediment volumes. The technique made it possible to distinguish the sand used for berm replenishment works or for beach nourishments from the sand naturally found on the backshore and the foreshore. Subtracting sequential DTMs (digital terrain models) resulted in height difference maps indicating the erosion and accretion zones. The combination of both data types, hyperspectral data and LIDAR data, provides a powerful tool, suited to analyse the dynamics of sandy shorelines. The technique was demonstrated on three sites along the Belgian shoreline: Koksijde, located on the West Coast and characterized by wide accretional beaches, influenced by dry berm replenishment works and the construction of groins; Zeebrugge, on the Middle Coast, where a beach nourishment was executed one year before the acquisitions started and where the dams of the harbour of Zeebrugge are responsible for the formation of a large accretional beach, and Knokke‐Heist, located on the East Coast and characterized by narrow, locally reflective, beaches, heavily influenced by nourishment activities. The methodology applied allowed retrieval of the main sediment transport directions as well as the amount of sediment transported. It proved to be specifically suited to follow up the redistribution and the re‐sorting of the fill in beach nourishment areas. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

THE INFLUENCE OF RAINFALL ON TRANSPORT OF BEACH SAND BY WIND

This paper deals with the effect of rainfall on the process of wind erosion of beach sands and presents results from both field and wind tunnel experiments. Although sediment transport by splash is of secondary importance on coastal dunes, splash–saltation processes can move sediments in conditions where no motion is predicted by aeolian processes. The effect of raindrop impact on the movement of soil particles by wind was measured on a sand beach plain using an acoustic sediment sampler. In general, an increase of particle movement by wind at the sensor heights was observed during rainfall. Rainfall also affected the wind erosion process during and after rain by changing the cohesive conditions of the surface. The influence of the surface moisture content on the initiation of wind erosion and on the vertical distribution of transported sand particles was studied in a wind tunnel. Moisture significantly increased threshold wind velocities for the initiation of sediment transport and modified vertical sediment profiles.     

Annual to decadal morphodynamics of the foredune system at Greenwich Dunes,Prince Edward Island,Canada

The purpose of this study was to quantify relationships between season, sediment availability, sediment transport pathways, and beach/foredune morphology at Greenwich Dunes, PEI. This was done for periods ranging from a few days to multiple decades using erosion pins, bedframe measurements, annual surveys, and digital photogrammetry using historical aerial photographs. The relative significance of seasonal/annual processes versus response of the foredune system to broader geomorphic controls (e.g. relative sea level rise, storms, etc.) was also assessed. The data show that there are clear seasonal differences in the patterns of sand supply from the beach to the foredune at Greenwich and that there are differences in sediment supply to the foredune between the east and west reaches of the study area, resulting in ongoing differences in foredune morphology. They also demonstrate that models that incorporate wind climate alone, or even models that include other factors like beach moisture, would not be able to predict the amount of sediment movement from the beach to the foredune in this environment unless there were some way to parameterize system morphology, especially the presence or absence of a dune ramp. Finally, the data suggest that the foredune can migrate landward while maintaining its form via transfers of sediment from the stoss slope, over the crest, and onto the lee slope. Although the rate of foredune development or recovery after disturbance changes over time due to morphological feedback, the overall decadal evolution of the foredune system at Greenwich is consistent with, and supports, the Davidson‐Arnott (2005) conceptual model of dune transgression under rising sea level. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Holderness coast erosion and the significance of ords

A sample ord, a low section of beach characteristic of the Holderness coast, is examined as it moved southwards between 1977 and 1983 and its significant role in coast erosion is demonstrated. The reduction in beach level at the cliff foot by up to 3.9 m enabled most HWN tides to reach it, as compared with only some HWS tides along the inter-ord beach, and the volume of till eroded from the cliffs increased by eight times to an annual mean of 72m³m^?1. The Holderness tills are shown to be composed of 31 per cent sand and coarser sediment which is the sediment range of the beaches. Where an ord is sited the massive injection of beach sediment goes to form the ord's most prominent constructional feature, the lower beach ridge which extends southwards from the centre of the ord. Analysis of 12 months' observer wave data collected at Withernsea in 1969/70 indicates that a net southward sand movement of 144 000 m³ occurred. Comparison of this rate with beach sediment input rates along the whole coast backed by till cliffs suggests a sediment deficit at the northern end and a surplus towards the southern end. This conclusion is supported by an overall increase in beach sediment volume southwards from Barmston. Within this longshore sediment transport system, the ords migrate southwards from their point of origin in the Barmston-Skipsea area, without losing their identity until reaching the tip of Spurn Head.     

Meso-scale testing and development of test procedures to maintain mass balance

The Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science (Texas A&M University––Corpus Christi) has conducted numerous petroleum experiments at the Shoreline Environmental Research Facility (Corpus Christi, Texas, USA). The meso-scale facility has multiple wave tanks, permitting some control in experimental design of the investigations, but allowing for real-world conditions. This paper outlines the evolution of a materials balance approach in conducting petroleum experiments at the facility. The first attempt at a materials balance was during a 1998 study on the fate/effects of dispersant use on crude oil. Both water column and beach sediment samples were collected. For the materials balance, the defined environmental compartments for oil accumulation were sediments, water column, and the water surface, while the discharge from the tanks was presumed to be the primary sink. The “lessons learned” included a need to quantify oil adhesion to the tank surfaces. This was resolved by adhering strips of the polymer tank lining to the tank sides that could be later removed and extracted for oil. Also, a protocol was needed to quantify any floating oil on the water surface. A water surface (oil slick) quantification protocol was developed, involving the use of solid-phase extraction disks. This protocol was first tested during a shoreline cleaner experiment, and later refined in subsequent dispersant effectiveness studies. The effectiveness tests were designed to simulate shallow embayments which created the need for additional adjustments in the tanks. Since dispersant efficacy is largely affected by hydrodynamics, it was necessary to scale the hydrodynamic conditions of the tanks to those expected in our prototype system (Corpus Christi Bay, Texas). The use of a scaled model permits the experiment to be reproduced and/or evaluated under different conditions. To minimize wave reflection in the tank, a parabolic wave dissipater was built. In terms of materials balance, this design reduced available surface area as a sink for oil adsorption.