The influence of Stokes drift on oil spills: Sanchi oil spill case

Spilled oil floats and travels across the water’s surface under the influence of wind, currents, and wave action. Wave-induced Stokes drift is an important physical process that can affect surface water particles but that is currently absent from oil spill analyses. In this study, two methods are applied to determine the velocity of Stokes drift, the first calculates velocity from the wind-related formula based upon a one-dimensional frequency spectrum, while the second determines velocity directly from the wave model that was based on a two-dimensional spectrum. The experimental results of numerous models indicated that: (1) oil simulations that include the influence of Stokes drift are more accurate than that those do not; (2) for medium and long-term simulations longer than two days or more, Stokes drift is a significant factor that should not be ignored, and its magnitude can reach about 2% of the wind speed; (3) the velocity of Stokes drift is related to the wind but is not linear. Therefore, Stokes drift cannot simply be replaced or substituted by simply increasing the wind drift factor, which can cause errors in oil spill projections; (4) the Stokes drift velocity obtained from the two-dimensional wave spectrum makes the oil spill simulation more accurate.     

海上溢油数值模型研究进展

中国是海洋大国,近年来,海上活动持续增多,发生海上溢油事故的风险随之加大,海上溢油污染事故一旦发生,如不得到及时控制,必将严重损害中国近海海洋环境.为了完善中国海上溢油应急反应体系,提高中国处理重大海上溢油事故的应急反应能力,开展了海上溢油污染应急技术研究.本文综述了溢油预测模型的发展过程以及相关的研究成果,包括:溢油...     

溢油模型与SSD曲线法评估渤海溢油事件的海洋生态风险

海上溢油事故不仅会造成大面积的海水污染,还会对海洋生态系统造成严重破坏。为此,采用有效的方法评估溢油事件引起的生态风险,对防灾减灾工作具有重要意义。本文以发生于2011年6月的渤海蓬莱19-3溢油事故为例,使用两种溢油模型(GNOME轨迹模型与ADIOS风化模型)模拟了事故初期油膜的运动轨迹与风化过程。基于模拟结果,利用CAFE模型(Chemical Aquatic Fate and Effect)拟合了相应的物种敏感度分布(species sensitivity distribution,SSD)曲线,首次结合三种模型工具对渤海进行了生态风险评估研究。结果显示,随着原油的持续泄漏,其主要有毒物质(苯系物)浓度达到了1 300μg/L,超过了1%危害浓度值(Hazard Concentration 1%,HC1)。结果表明,在事故初期所产生的生态风险不可忽视,并且风险(多个物种的潜在影响分数)会在96 h内以每日约1%的趋势增长。本文结合溢油运动轨迹和SSD曲线,绘制出了事故期间的生态风险时空分布图。经过定量化的评估,首次发现事故的整体生态风险随时间呈近似二次函数增长,同溢油轨迹一样,向西北方向扩散,越靠近溢油源的海域生态风险概率越高。     

基于元胞自动机的海洋溢油模型

本文采用三维元胞自动机模型,对海洋溢油过程进行了模拟,对风流、水流等水平方向的影响系数进行了改进。考虑了蒸发、垂直扩散、岸边附着、溶解、乳化等因子的影响,并且引入乳化含水率将乳化因子进行实际量化,构建了海洋溢油模型。并以"Deep Spill"的溢油实验为基础进行了模拟,实验结果 Kappa系数达到0.902,与实际相比具有较好的一致性。本文对海洋溢油事故进行预测模拟,为提出合理有效的应急预案提供科学依据。     

基于MIKE SA模型的厦门西港海域溢油影响的数值模拟研究

基于MIKE SA溢油模块,以燃料油为油种,建立了厦门西港海域溢油模型,模拟静风、主导风向（东北东风）和不利风向（西南风）3种风场条件下,一个潮周期内涨急、高潮、落急和低潮4个时段发生10 t溢油后油膜的漂移路径和影响范围.结果显示,发生在厦门西港海域的溢油在海面的漂移过程主要受潮流和风的影响,其中潮流起着主导作用.不同风向条件下,24 h内油膜的影响范围不同,静风条件下溢油浓度超一类（或二类,≥0.05 mg/dm3）、超三类（≥0.30 mg/dm3）和超四类（≥0.50 mg/dm3）的总影响面积分别为31.33、19.63和11.74 km2;主导风向条件下溢油浓度超一类（或二类）、超三类和超四类的总影响面积分别为99.62、69.01和8.99 km2;不利风向溢油浓度超一类（或二类）、超三类和超四类的总影响面积分别为8.38、5.05和2.10 km2.该预测结果可给出溢油事故发生后的影响范围、影响程度和影响敏感目标的时间,可为溢油事故应急决策的制定及溢油损害评估提供科学决策和支持,提升厦门海域环境风险管理应急能力建设.     

A study of oil spill detection using ASAR images

The oil spilled worldwide causes ecological disasters that result in enormous damages to the quality of marine environment, and great expenses on clear-up operations are needed. Due to its wide coverage and day-night all-weather observation capability, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) is an important tool for oil spill monitoring and detection. C-band SAR is well adapted to detect oil pollution because oil slicks dampen the Bragg waves and reduce radar backscattering coefficients. In order to detect the area of oil slicks, the algorithm consists of these steps:Preprocessing, Masking of land areas, Detection of dark spots, Spot feature extraction, Dark spot classification. In this paper, the authors examined two coastal regions around Hong Kong and Yantai, China. The obtained results performed on Envisat ASAR images have demonstrated that it is efficient to detect oil spill around the coastal regions. The methodology still needs to be refined with the collection of more SAR data in the near future.     

Two- and three-dimensional oil spill model for coastal waters

This paper presents the development and application of two-dimensional and three-dimensional oil trajectory and fate models for coastal waters. In the two-dimensional model, the oil slick is divided into a number of small grids and the properties of each grid due to spreading, advection, turbulent diffusion, evaporation and dissolution are studied. This model can predict the movement of the oil slick on the water surface. In order to simulate the distribution of oil particles in the water column, a three-dimensional oil fate model is developed based on the mass transport equation and the concentration distribution of oil particles can be solved. A comparison of numerical results with the observed data shows good conformity.     

海洋溢油生态损害快速预评估模式研究

海洋作为石油资源的主要产地和运输路线,海上溢油事故对海洋生态系统的损害十分巨大.为了评估溢油对海洋生态系统的损害,研制一套海洋溢油生态损害的快速预评估方法和模式非常必要,且对于海洋管理和生态索赔具有重要意义.本文建立了一套适用于渤海海域的海洋溢油生态损害快速预评估模式,该模式将海洋溢油生态损失分为两部分,即海洋环境容量...     

Bohai Sea oil spill model: a numerical case study

An operational Bohai Sea oil spill serving module (BSOSSM) that can provide users with trajectory and movement information of the released oil is developed for the purpose of informing mitigation of oil spill incidents in the Bohai Sea, China. BSOSSM is one of the serving modules that had been integrated in China digital ocean prototype system, a marine information platform for managing, displaying and disseminating all the data investigated by China 908 Program. The oil spill trajectory is calculated by an oil spill model (OSM), which serves as a component in BSOSSM. The impacts of wind, current, as well as Stokes drift on oil spill trajectory are studied by sensitivity experiments conducted using OSM. Simulation results indicate that wind forcing is the most important factor in controlling the oil trajectory at the sea surface in Bohai Sea, whereas current and Stokes drift play relatively less important roles. However, because the direction of waves generally follows that of the wind, Stokes drift does lead to an increase in oil drift and spreading velocity. Case studies of the Penglai 19-3 oil spill incident (June 2011) and Xingang oil spill (April 2005) demonstrate that OSM can generally reproduce the oil spreading, and is therefore capable of supporting the emergency response of future oil spills in the Bohai Sea through BSOSSM.     

Assessment of economic damages from the Prestige oil spill

The Prestige oil spill may be considered as one of the worst in last years, because of the amount spilled (59,000 tons at the moment) and the wide zone affected: almost all the coastline in Galicia (Spanish region with a very important coastal fishing activity) and some points in the North Spain and in the Southwest France. In this paper, we estimate the short-term economic damages from the Prestige oil spills in the Galician coastal fishing and aquaculture sectors by great areas. The zones that received more oil spills obtained the biggest economic losses.     

渤海溢油三维漂移数值模拟研究

国家海洋局北海预报中心于2011年开发了渤海三维溢油模型,该模型在分析国内外溢油模型现状的基础上,借鉴当今流行的数值模拟方法,使用油粒子模型与油膜扩展模型相结合的方式,用拉格朗日方法追踪每个带有一定油量的油粒子的轨迹,针对每一个油粒子则使用油膜扩展理论计算其油膜扩展过程。该模型可实现对溢油油污上升及水平输运过程、海表面油污浓度的预报,通过三组理想试验和2012年的海上溢油实验数据,对模型的各项功能、稳定性及模型精度进行了对比验证,结果较好,模型可实现对渤海海域海底或水下发生溢油的数值模拟。该模型解决了以往二维溢油模型在模拟钻井平台及海底输油管道泄漏等溢油事故方面的不足,可更好地为溢油灾害对海洋环境影响的估计提供有效参考信息。     

应用极化合成孔径雷达检测海上溢油研究进展

海上溢油给海洋生态环境带来严重的影响,快速准确地探测溢油对于防灾减灾具有重要的意义。利用卫星遥感探测溢油已成为目前主要的检测手段,大多采用合成孔径雷达(SAR)数据,运用图像处理的方法,开展了多种溢油提取算法的研究,取得了较好的结果,但由于海洋的类溢油现象存在,造成提取信息的精度达不到要求。近年来,国内外运用极化SAR数据开展溢油信息提取研究,从极化分解与相位差等角度对溢油特性分析,能有效地区分一些类溢油现象,得到了较理想的结果。分析了应用SAR数据开展溢油信息提取的研究状况,总结了溢油极化SAR探测的研究,指出了目前研究中存在的不足,并提出了今后溢油极化SAR遥感监测的方向。     

基于无人机载多光谱相机的海面溢油分类方法研究

海洋溢油事故发生后,及时准确地探测油污分布情况极为重要.无人机载多光谱探测海面油膜是高效的溢油监测手段之一,它能弥补卫星遥感的滞后性、精度低等不足,具有灵活性高、实时性强等优点.本研究研制了无人机载多光谱油污探测系统并进行了水面油膜机载探测实验,分别利用最大似然法、最小距离法以及光谱角填图法对成像结果进行分类,并将3种...     

Bioavailability of heavy metals bound to sediments affected by a mining spill using Solea senegalensis and Scrobicularia plana

After the Aznalcóllar mining spill (April, 1998) different ecosystems along the Guadiamar river and the Guadalquivir estuary were impacted by high concentrations of metals. The concentration of metals Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu and As has been detected as a good tracer of the pathway of the toxic spill. Different individuals of the fish Solea senegalensis and the clam Scrobicularia plana were exposed to contaminated sediments after the accidental spill in the south-west Spain. The induction of metallothioneins in fish and the bioaccumulation of metals in clams were determined in different tissues to determine the biological adverse effect associated with the heavy metals from the spill. A relationship between the enrichment of metals in the tissues and the induction of metallothioneins was determined for those assays performed using contaminated sediments. The bioaccumulation of metals indicates that the risk associated with the spill should be continuously evaluated to establish the sublethal effects related to the accident.     

Endoparasites in common eiders Somateria mollissima from birds killed by an oil spill in the northern Wadden Sea

Mass mortalities of common eiders Somateria mollissima have been ascribed to high parasite loads. However, the actual role of parasites in mortalities is disputed as in the case of a mass mortality of eiders in the Wadden Sea in the winter of 1999/2000. A critical evaluation of the role of parasites in eider mass mortalities is hampered by (1) a lack of data on actual parasite loads of the birds involved, (2) missing regional data for comparison, and (3) a lack of unbiased samples: investigations are often based on dead beached individuals, which are presumably the more heavily infected birds of a population and thus more likely to die and be washed ashore. Although published data on parasite loads in birds of the winter 1999/2000 mortality are available, no data on background parasitism in eiders from the Wadden Sea exist, making an evaluation of the potential role of parasites in this mortality event difficult. By investigating endoparasites of 102 eiders affected by an oil spill in the northern Wadden Sea in winter 1998/1999, we provide a data set of background parasitism in wintering eiders from the Wadden Sea. We found 13 different parasite taxa with high prevalence values (% infected birds) in the acanthocephalan Profilicollis botulus, the nematode Amidostomum acutum, cestodes and trematodes. In some taxa we observed pronounced differences in prevalence values between juvenile eiders and adults, as well as between adult sexes. The parasite composition shows that bivalves, crabs (Carcinus maenas) and other crustaceans are important sources of infections by being intermediate hosts. This is partly mirrored in the food content of eider stomachs where bivalves and crabs were predominantly found. Intensities of the acanthocephalan P. botulus, suspected of causing eider mortalities, were especially high in juveniles (1112 ± 416 ind per infected host), but lower in adult males (40 ± 7) and adult females (81 ± 18). However, no extraordinary mortality event was observed in the winter of 1998/1999, indicating no or a very weak effect of the parasites on host condition. A comparison with the parasite loads of eiders from the mass mortality in the winter of 1999/2000 shows that parasite numbers were by no means exceptional for birds from the area. Hence, parasites alone are unlikely to have caused this mortality. Regional background parasite loads are important to differentiate between primary and secondary roles of parasites in anomalous mortality events.     

Oil dispersal modelling: reanalysis of the Rena oil spill using open-source modelling tools

ABSTRACT

Oil spill forecast modelling is typically used immediately after a spill to predict oil dispersal and promote mobilisation of more effective response operations. The aim of this work was to map oil dispersal after the grounding of the MV Rena on Astrolabe Reef and to verify the results against observations. Model predictions were broadly consistent with observed distribution of oil contamination. However, some hot spots of oil accumulation, likely due to surf-zone and rip current circulation, were not well represented. Additionally, the model was run with 81 differing wind conditions to show that the events occurring during the grounding represented the typical likely behaviour of an oil spill on Astrolabe Reef. Oil dispersal was highly dependent on prevailing wind patterns; more accurate prediction would require better observations of local wind patterns. However, comparison of predictions with observations indicated that the GNOME model was an effective low-cost approach.     

水下溢油数值模拟研究

基于Lagrange积分法和Lagrange粒子追踪法建立了一个水下溢油数值模型。该溢油模型由两个子模型组成:羽流动力模型和对流扩散模型,其中羽流动力模型用以模拟溢油的喷发阶段和浮力羽流阶段;对流扩散模型用以模拟溢油的对流扩散阶段。通过数值实验,结合实验室水槽实验和水下溢油现场实验的观测资料进行模型验证。实验结果表明,模拟结果与观测资料一致性较好,从而验证了本文溢油模型的合理性和准确性;羽流动力模型为对流扩散模型提供源,海流、海水的垂向密度结构和油滴的直径分布是影响溢油在对流扩散阶段运动和分布的主要因素。     

Petroleum contamination and biochemical alterations in oysters (Crassostrea gigas) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) from bays impacted by the Amoco Cadiz crude oil spill

Following the Amoco Cadiz crude oil spill in March 1978, marine animals in coastal and estuarine environments along the north shore of Brittany, France became heavily contaminated with crude oil. The resident benthic fauna in the oil-impacted area which survived the spill were severely stressed by the pollution. The objectives of our investigation were to document long-term trends in petroleum hydrocarbon contamination and sublethal stress in oysters and plaice from the estuaries, Aber Benoit and Aber Wrac'h. Oysters in the estuaries accumulated aliphatic and aromatic petroleum hydrocarbons to high levels and remained heavily contaminated for the duration of the 27 month investigation. Plaice, on the other hand, retained only low concentrations of petroleum hydrocarbons in muscle and liver tissue. Nevertheless, the oysters exhibited very few histopathologic and biochemical responses to the oil, whereas the plaice from the estuaries exhibited a variety of sublethal histopathologic and biochemical alterations.     

Research on the risk-based model for regional emergency resource allocation for ship-source oil spill

The key point for rational allocation of emergency resources is to match the oil spill response capacity with the risk of oil spill. This paper proposes an innovative risk-based model for quantitative regional emergency resource allocation, which comprehensively analyzes the factors such as oil spill probability, hazard consequences, oil properties, weathering process and operation efficiency, etc. The model calculates three major resources, i.e., mechanical recovery, dispersion and absorption, according to the results of risk assessment. In a field application in Xiaohu Port, Guangzhou, China, and the model achieved scientific and rational allocation of emergency resources by matching the assessed risk with the regional capacity, and allocating emergency resources according to capability target. The model is considered to be beneficial to enhancing the resource efficiency and may contribute to the planning of capacity-building programs in high-risk areas.