Comparison of Trajectories Generated by the NOAA Oil Spill Model to Trajectories Produced Using HF Radar-Derived Curents in Monterey Bay
Comparison of Trajectories Generated by the NOAA Oil Spill Model to Trajectories Produced Using HF Radar-Derived Curents in Monterey Bay

Author: Margaret Smith

Publisher:

Published: 1997-09-01

Total Pages: 112

ISBN-13: 9781423565284

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HF radar-derived surface current data was examined for use in oil spill trajectory prediction in Monterey Bay. Trajectories produced by the NOAA/ HAZMAT On-Scene Spill Model, using different combinations of surface currents and winds, were compared to trajectories generated using HF radar-derived surface currents. Currents examined included Output from the NOAA circulation model and canonical-day averages of the HF radar-derived current maps, either as spatially constant but temporally varying currents (time file) or spatially varying two-hourly current patterns (grids). Results from OSSM using the NOAA circulation model currents did not compare favorably with HF radar-derived trajectories inside Monterey Bay. OSSM produced realistic overall trajectory patterns throughout the Bay using the canonical-day grid current files and, to a lesser degree, canonical-day time file currents. Both OSSM and HF radar-derived trajectories show sensitivity to release time. In the afternoon, trajectories display rapid southeastward flow. At night, currents are weaker. The week's worth of direct surface current data used in this study was found to be representative of the seasonal summertime pattern in Monterey Bay and provided realistic current patterns for use in OSSM for initial trajectory prediction in lieu of real time HF radar-derived surface currents.

Comparison of Trajectories Generated by the NOAA Oil Spill Model to Trajectories Produced Using HF Radar-derived Currents in Monterey Bay
Comparison of Trajectories Generated by the NOAA Oil Spill Model to Trajectories Produced Using HF Radar-derived Currents in Monterey Bay

Author: Margaret A. Smith

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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HF radar-derived surface current data was examined for use in oil spill trajectory prediction in Monterey Bay. Trajectories produced by the NOAA/ HAZMAT On-Scene Spill Model, using different combinations of surface currents and winds, were compared to trajectories generated using HF radar-derived surface currents. Currents examined included Output from the NOAA circulation model and canonical-day averages of the HF radar-derived current maps, either as spatially constant but temporally varying currents (time file) or spatially varying two-hourly current patterns (grids). Results from OSSM using the NOAA circulation model currents did not compare favorably with HF radar-derived trajectories inside Monterey Bay. OSSM produced realistic overall trajectory patterns throughout the Bay using the canonical-day grid current files and, to a lesser degree, canonical-day time file currents. Both OSSM and HF radar-derived trajectories show sensitivity to release time. In the afternoon, trajectories display rapid southeastward flow. At night, currents are weaker. The week's worth of direct surface current data used in this study was found to be representative of the seasonal summertime pattern in Monterey Bay and provided realistic current patterns for use in OSSM for initial trajectory prediction in lieu of real time HF radar-derived surface currents.

Evaluation of an Oil Spill Trajectory Model Using Satellite-tracked, Oil-Spill-Simulating Drifters
Evaluation of an Oil Spill Trajectory Model Using Satellite-tracked, Oil-Spill-Simulating Drifters

Author:

Publisher:

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 10

ISBN-13:

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We deployed ninety-seven oil-spill-simulating drifters over the continental shelf of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico during five hydrographic surveys conducted from 1997 through 1999. Earlier, side-by- side comparisons with spilled crude petroleum on the ocean surface had demonstrated that these drifters moved on the ocean surface like consolidated oil slicks under light to moderate winds. (Under high winds, a surface oil spill tends to be entrained into the mixed layer and Ekman transported, unlike the drifters, which remain on the sea surface and move mostly downwind.) The drifters were then deployed in the Gulf of Mexico as nonpolluting oil-spill proxies to compare their movements against results from an oil-spill trajectory model. The drifter trajectories were compared statistically to trajectories generated by the Oil-Spill Risk Analysis (OSRA) model. The model uses a variation of the 3.5- percent rule to compute the drift due to local wind forcing and superposes the prevailing ocean current on this wind-induced drift to obtain the total velocity of an oil spill on the ocean surface. The input fields are the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF) winds and a data-assimilating hindcast of the ocean currents over the time the drifters were deployed. Scatter plots and linear regressions of the speeds and directions of simulated vs. modeled oil-spill drift show the extent to which they are different. Underlying these differences are the expected differences between the ocean current input field and the trajectories of satellite tracked,?water-following? drifters deployed simultaneously with the oil-spill-simulating drifters. An earlier evaluation of the ECMWF winds showed better, but of course not perfect, agreement with meteorological buoys in the Gulf.

Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment
Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment

Author: National Research Council

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2014-08-01

Total Pages: 343

ISBN-13: 030929889X

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U.S. Arctic waters north of the Bering Strait and west of the Canadian border encompass a vast area that is usually ice covered for much of the year, but is increasingly experiencing longer periods and larger areas of open water due to climate change. Sparsely inhabited with a wide variety of ecosystems found nowhere else, this region is vulnerable to damage from human activities. As oil and gas, shipping, and tourism activities increase, the possibilities of an oil spill also increase. How can we best prepare to respond to such an event in this challenging environment? Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment reviews the current state of the science regarding oil spill response and environmental assessment in the Arctic region north of the Bering Strait, with emphasis on the potential impacts in U.S. waters. This report describes the unique ecosystems and environment of the Arctic and makes recommendations to provide an effective response effort in these challenging conditions. According to Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment, a full range of proven oil spill response technologies is needed in order to minimize the impacts on people and sensitive ecosystems. This report identifies key oil spill research priorities, critical data and monitoring needs, mitigation strategies, and important operational and logistical issues. The Arctic acts as an integrating, regulating, and mediating component of the physical, atmospheric and cryospheric systems that govern life on Earth. Not only does the Arctic serve as regulator of many of the Earth's large-scale systems and processes, but it is also an area where choices made have substantial impact on life and choices everywhere on planet Earth. This report's recommendations will assist environmentalists, industry, state and local policymakers, and anyone interested in the future of this special region to preserve and protect it from damaging oil spills.

Next Generation Earth System Prediction
Next Generation Earth System Prediction

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2016-08-22

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 0309388805

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As the nation's economic activities, security concerns, and stewardship of natural resources become increasingly complex and globally interrelated, they become ever more sensitive to adverse impacts from weather, climate, and other natural phenomena. For several decades, forecasts with lead times of a few days for weather and other environmental phenomena have yielded valuable information to improve decision-making across all sectors of society. Developing the capability to forecast environmental conditions and disruptive events several weeks and months in advance could dramatically increase the value and benefit of environmental predictions, saving lives, protecting property, increasing economic vitality, protecting the environment, and informing policy choices. Over the past decade, the ability to forecast weather and climate conditions on subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) timescales, i.e., two to fifty-two weeks in advance, has improved substantially. Although significant progress has been made, much work remains to make S2S predictions skillful enough, as well as optimally tailored and communicated, to enable widespread use. Next Generation Earth System Predictions presents a ten-year U.S. research agenda that increases the nation's S2S research and modeling capability, advances S2S forecasting, and aids in decision making at medium and extended lead times.

Marine Priority Conservation Areas
Marine Priority Conservation Areas

Author: Lance Edward Morgan

Publisher:

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13:

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Describes the process of identifying priority conservation areas--areas of trinational importance due to their ecological significance and threatened nature--which are in need of international cooperation for successful conservation.