Application of an Integrated Blowout Model System, OILMAP DEEP, to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Spill

Spaulding, Malcolm L.; Li, Zhengkai; Mendelsohn, Daniel; Crowley, Deborah; French-McCay, Deborah; Bird, Andrew

doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.04.043

Cited by 48 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…In comparison, Lunel found that 80 to 90% of the oil droplets, by volume, that dispersed chemically and physically from oil slicks in the field were less than 70 μm in diameter, with volume mean diameters between 35 and 50 μm. Similarly, Li et al reported count median diameters of 45 to 50 μm, and Spaulding et al reported volume mean diameters of 70 to 250 μm, for particulate oil measured near the riser at different water column depths during the Deepwater Horizon spill. Ultimately, both the upper limit and the volume mean diameter of oil droplets observed in the field were larger than those found in our WAF preparations.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Characterization of dissolved and particulate phases of water accommodated fractions used to conduct aquatic toxicity testing in support of the Deepwater Horizon natural resource damage assessment

Forth

Mitchelmore

Morris

et al. 2017

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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In response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Natural Resource Trustees implemented a toxicity testing program that included 4 different Deepwater Horizon oils that ranged from fresh to weathered, and 3 different oil-in-water preparation methods (including one that used the chemical dispersant Corexit 9500) to prepare a total of 12 chemically unique water accommodated fractions (WAFs). We determined how the different WAF preparation methods, WAF concentrations, and oil types influenced the chemical composition and concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the dissolved and particulate phases over time periods used in standard toxicity tests. In WAFs prepared with the same starting oil and oil-to-water ratio, the composition and concentration of the dissolved fractions were similar across all preparation methods. However, these similarities diverged when dilutions of the 3 WAF methods were compared. In WAFs containing oil droplets, we found that the dissolved phase was a small fraction of the total PAH concentration for the high-concentration stock WAFs; however, the dissolved phase became the dominant fraction when it was diluted to lower concentrations. Furthermore, decreases in concentration over time were mainly related to surfacing of the larger oil droplets. The initial mean diameters of the droplets were approximately 5 to 10 μm, with a few droplets larger than 30 μm. After 96 h, the mean droplet size decreased to 3 to 5 μm, with generally all droplets larger than 10 μm resurfacing. These data provide a detailed assessment of the concentration and form (dissolved vs particulate) of the PAHs in our WAF exposures, measurements that are important for determining the effects of oil on aquatic species. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1460-1472. © 2017 SETAC.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 91%

Characterization of dissolved and particulate phases of water accommodated fractions used to conduct aquatic toxicity testing in support of the Deepwater Horizon natural resource damage assessment

Forth

Mitchelmore

Morris

et al. 2017

Enviro Toxic and Chemistry

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“…Some of these approaches were also used by [53,54] to simulate blowouts like the Deepwater Horizon. When dispersed-phase particles are added, their buoyancy must be added to the net plume buoyancy, and there needs to be an algorithm to track the particles within the plume, allowing them to separate from the entrained plume fluid under the actions of stratification and crossflow (see Fig.…”

Section: Bent Plume Model: Multiphase Plume Model For Stratified Crosmentioning

confidence: 99%

Integral models for bubble, droplet, and multiphase plume dynamics in stratification and crossflow

2018

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We present the development and validation of a numerical modeling suite for bubble and droplet dynamics of multiphase plumes in the environment. This modeling suite includes real-fluid equations of state, Lagrangian particle tracking, and two different integral plume models: an Eulerian model for a double-plume integral model in quiescent stratification and a Lagrangian integral model for multiphase plumes in stratified crossflows. Here, we report a particle tracking algorithm for dispersed-phase particles within the Lagrangian integral plume model and a comprehensive validation of the Lagrangian plume model for single-and multiphase buoyant jets. The model utilizes literature values for all entrainment and spreading coefficients and has one remaining calibration parameter j, which reduces the buoyant force of dispersed phase particles as they approach the edge of a Lagrangian plume element, eventually separating from the plume as it bends over in a crossflow. We report the calibrated form j ¼ ½ðb À rÞ=b 4 , where b is the plume halfwidth, and r is the distance of a particle from the plume centerline. We apply the validated modeling suite to simulate two test cases of a subsea oil well blowout in a stratificationdominated crossflow. These tests confirm that errors from overlapping plume elements in the Lagrangian integral model during intrusion formation for a weak crossflow are negligible for predicting intrusion depth and the fate of oil droplets in the plume. The Lagrangian integral model has the added advantages of being able to account for entrainment from an arbitrary crossflow, predict the intrusion of small gas bubbles and oil droplets when appropriate, and track the pathways of individual bubbles and droplets after they separate from the main plume or intrusion layer.

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“…Parameters for oil and sediment (e.g., the density, stickiness, and particle size distribution) are defined as inputs in the model. Typical values of particle densities used in the simulation are 850 kg m −3 (Spaulding et al, ) and 1,200 kg m −3 for oil and sediment, respectively. Stickiness values for different components in aggregates are defined in section 2.2. The size distributions of aggregates are specific to different locations.…”

Section: Model Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Predictions from deepwater oil and gas blowout plume models (Dissanayake et al, ; Johansen, ; Spaulding et al, ; Yapa & Li, ) can be used to calculate the oil in the water column, in intrusions, and on the surface. Spaulding et al () estimated that total insoluble hydrocarbon into the deep plume was 1.09 × 10 6 ± 1.422 × 10 5 during the DWH spill and Gros et al () estimates that about 73% petroleum mass remained in the water without dissolving in the days after the fallen riser was removed from the wellhead. Without further information we amended the list of marine snow components included in the SLAMS model to include the following: diatoms, picoplankton, fecal pellets, TEP, river sediments, and oil.…”

Section: Model Simulationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Numerical Modeling of the Interactions of Oil, Marine Snow, and Riverine Sediments in the Ocean

et al. 2018

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Natural or spilled oil in the ocean can interact with marine snow and sediment from riverine sources and form Marine Oil Snow (MOS) aggregates including aggregates consisting of phytoplankton, detritus, and feces. Such aggregates have a fractal structure and can transport oil from the surface layers to greater depths in the ocean, eventually settling on the seafloor. In recent studies of the Deepwater Horizon and IXTOC‐1 oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico, this process was identified as one of the main mechanisms for transporting oil vertically in the water column. We have adapted a stochastic, one‐dimensional numerical model that uses coagulation theory to simulate MOS formation and sinking in the ocean and predict the time evolution of physical properties and spatial distribution of MOS. Here we present the model development, calibration, and validation with measured MOS field data in the Gulf of Mexico during the Deepwater Horizon spill. We use a sensitivity analysis to identify critical parameters, and suggest future model improvements and areas where further experimental investigation is needed to improve our understanding of MOS formation and sedimentation. The model can be used during response and planning activities associated with oil spills in the marine environments.

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Application of an Integrated Blowout Model System, OILMAP DEEP, to the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) Spill

Cited by 48 publications

References 19 publications

Characterization of dissolved and particulate phases of water accommodated fractions used to conduct aquatic toxicity testing in support of the Deepwater Horizon natural resource damage assessment

Characterization of dissolved and particulate phases of water accommodated fractions used to conduct aquatic toxicity testing in support of the Deepwater Horizon natural resource damage assessment

Integral models for bubble, droplet, and multiphase plume dynamics in stratification and crossflow

Numerical Modeling of the Interactions of Oil, Marine Snow, and Riverine Sediments in the Ocean

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