Modelling the behaviour of oil spills in ice‐infested waters

Venkatesh, S.; El‐Tahan, H.; Comfort, G; Abdelnour, Razek

doi:10.1080/07055900.1990.9649380

Cited by 50 publications

(31 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The US National Academies of Science has recently completed a major study of the state of oil-spill management in the Arctic [National Academies of Science (NAS), 2014], and industry groups are investing in studies and experiments to develop response strategies [Sørstrøm et al, 2010]. However, no technological solution currently exists to recover oil from sea ice, and a large fraction of the oil on, entangled in, or trapped beneath sea ice is likely to be transported with the floes and released into the ocean wherever the ice melts [Venkatesh et al, 1990]. Figure 1. (a) Offshore oil and gas resources as assessed by the U.S. Geological Survey [Bird et al, 2008].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing transnational sea‐ice exchange in a changing Arctic Ocean

et al. 2017

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The changing Arctic sea-ice cover is likely to impact the trans-border exchange of sea ice between the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of the Arctic nations, affecting the risk of ice-rafted contamination. We apply the Lagrangian Ice Tracking System (LITS) to identify sea-ice formation events and track sea ice to its melt locations. Most ice (52%) melts within 100 km of where it is formed; ca. 21% escapes from its EEZ. Thus, most contaminants will be released within an ice parcel's originating EEZ, while material carried by over 1 00,000 km 2 of ice-an area larger than France and Germany combined-will be released to other nations' waters. Between the periods 1988-1999 and 2000-2014, sea-ice formation increased by ∼17% (roughly 6 million km 2 vs. 5 million km 2 annually). Melting peaks earlier; freeze-up begins later; and the central Arctic Ocean is more prominent in both formation and melt in the later period. The total area of ice transported between EEZs increased, while transit times decreased: for example, Russian ice reached melt locations in other nations' EEZs an average of 46% faster while North American ice reached destinations in Eurasian waters an average of 37% faster. Increased trans-border exchange is mainly a result of increased speed (∼14% per decade), allowing first-year ice to escape the summer melt front, even as the front extends further north. Increased trans-border exchange over shorter times is bringing the EEZs of the Arctic nations closer together, which should be taken into account in policy development-including establishment of marine-protected areas. Plain Language SummaryWe use data from satellite images to identify the formation, drift tracks, and melt locations of sea ice in the Arctic. Most ice melts locally: only about 21% is exported from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in which it is formed. That export is nonetheless about 1,000,000 km 2 each year. As the ice cover has thinned and the summer sea ice has retreated in a warming Arctic, formation and melt locations have moved further north, ice drifts have accelerated, and the area of ice formation and melt has increased. We looked at ice formation and transport between the EEZs of the Arctic nations, and broke the record into two periods : 1988-1999 and 2000-2014. As the Arctic warms, more ice is transported between EEZs and it is arriving at the receiving EEZ faster, than in the past. Between the two study periods: Sea ice velocity increased by about 14%/decade; Russian ice reached melt locations in other nations' EEZs 46% faster; and North American ice reached Eurasian destinations 37% faster. Exchanges of ice have increased as a result. For example, export of ice from Russia to Norway increased by 11% and export from Alaska to Russia by 16%.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Increasing transnational sea‐ice exchange in a changing Arctic Ocean

et al. 2017

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“…While detailed information regarding ice coverage and conditions is not available from these models, the information provided can be used as an indicator of whether oil would move predominantly with the surface water currents or with the ice. A rule of thumb followed by past modeling studies is that oil will generally drift with ice when ice coverage is greater than 30% (Venkatesh et al 1990;Drozdowski et al 2011). A recent review by experts on oil transport in ice-covered waters (CRRC 2016) concluded that up to 30% ice coverage, oil moves as though it is in open water, and at 80% and higher ice coverage, oil transport is almost totally controlled by the ice.…”

Section: Transport Algorithmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is not agreement on how oil moves with intermediate ice coverage between 30% and 80%, i.e., in the MIZ. There is no specific field calibration for this guidance, although theoretical arguments have been made (Venkatesh et al 1990;Lee et al 2011;CRRC 2016). For example, as concluded in CRRC (2016): "The presence of frazil or brash ice between larger floes would increase control of the oil as compared to open water".…”

Section: Transport Algorithmsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Validation of Oil Spill Transport and Fate Modeling in Arctic Ice

et al. 2017

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Reliability of oil spill modeling in Arctic waters for response planning and risk assessments depends on the accuracy of winds, currents, and ice data (cover and drift) used as input. We compared predicted transport in ice, using ice and ocean model results as input, with observed drifter trajectories in the Beaufort Sea and an experimental oil release in the Barents Sea. The ice models varied in ice rheology algorithms used (i.e., ElasticViscous-Plastic, presently used in climate models, versus a new Elasto-Brittle approach in pack ice) and the time averaging of their outputs, which were provided as input to oil spill models. Evaluations of model performance (skill) against drifters showed improvement using Elasto-Brittle instead of Elastic-Viscous-Plastic rheology. However, model skill was degraded by time-averaging of ocean and ice model vectors before input to the oil spill model. While the accuracy of individual oil model trajectories projected weeks to months into the future is expected to be low, in the event of a spill, forecasts could be updated frequently with satellite and other observations to improve reliability. Comparisons of modeled trajectories with drifters verified that use of the ice-ocean models for ensemble modeling as part of risk assessments is reliable.Key words: trajectory model, ice drifter, ice model, Arctic spill response, oil weathering in ice.Résumé : La fiabilité de la modélisation de déversement de pétrole dans les eaux arctiques en vue d'un plan d'intervention et d'évaluations de risque dépend de l'exactitude des données sur les vents, les courants et les glaces (la couverture et la dérive) utilisées comme données d'entrée. Nous avons comparé le transport prévu dans les glaces, utilisant les résultats de modèles des glaces et océanique comme données d'entrée, avec des trajectoires de dérive observées dans la mer de Beaufort et un rejet de pétrole expérimental dans la mer de Barents. Les modèles des glaces variaient selon les algorithmes de rhéologie de glace utilisés (c'est-à-dire, plastique-visqueux-élastique, actuellement utilisé dans les modèles climatiques, contre une nouvelle approche élasto-fragile dans la banquise) et la détermination des moyennes de leurs résultats, fournis comme données d'entrée pour les modèles de déversement de pétrole. Les évaluations de la performance (capacité) du modèle par rapport aux dérives ont présenté une amélioration lorsqu'on utilisait la rhéologie élasto-fragile au lieu de plastique-visqueux-élastique. Cependant, la capacité du modèle s'est dégradée à cause de la détermination des moyennes de vecteurs des modèles océaniques et des glaces avant que ceux-ci ne soient introduits dans le modèle de déversement de pétrole. Tandis qu'on s'attend à ce que l'exactitude des trajectoires projetées par des modèles pétroliers particuliers des semaines à des mois à l'avenir ne soit pas grande, dans le cas d'un déversement, les prévisions pourraient fréquemment être mises à jour à l'aide d'observations par satellite et Mots-clés : modèle à tr...

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“…Other research of interest relevant to the present topic are the study of crude oil discharge under multi-year ice (Comfort and Purves 1979); the qualitative data on ice-oil interaction during the Kurdistan spill (Centre for Cold Ocean Resources Engineering 1980); the study of movement of oil trapped under ice, including the migration of oil through the ice (Stringer and Weller 1985); a field study offshore of Cape Breton Island, Canada, to observe oil spreading in ice packs (Ross and Dickins 1987;Buist and Bjerkelund 1986); and the study on the movement and spreading of oil in the presence of ice (Venkatesh et al 1990). …”

Section: Princcd In Canada I Lmprimc Au Canadamentioning

confidence: 99%

Radial spreading of oil under and over broken ice: an experimental study

Yapa¹,

Belaskas²

1993

Can. J. Civ. Eng.

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The mechanism of oil spreading in the presence of solid ice covers had been investigated in several studies. There are good laboratory data and some field data available for the case of solid ice covers. There are, however, little data available on the subject of oil spreading in the presence of broken ice covers. The lack of data and the complexity of dealing with many different types of broken ice covers are the main reasons for the poor understanding of the oil spreading mechanism in broken ice covers. In this paper, a laboratory study is presented to investigate the behaviour of oil spreading when spilled under a broken ice cover. The experiments included different ice cover thicknesses, artificial and real ice, oils of different viscosities, and a variety of discharge and volume conditions.Laboratory observations indicate that the behaviour of oil spilled under a fragmented ice cover depends on the type of ice cover. While oil may penetrate completely through one type of cover, it may not penetrate at all in another type. In covers that allow the oil to penetrate through, initially oil spreads under the ice, with simultaneous migration through the ice cover. When the oil reaches the water surface, it starts to spread rapidly, outpacing the spreading underneath. The spreading of oil under the ice was dominated by the buoyancy and viscous forces, while oil spreading on the water surface near the top of the ice cover was dominated by interfacial and viscous forces. This paper advances the fundamental understanding of the mechanism. The data from this study can be used to develop future mathematical models on this subject.Les mecanismes de propagation du petrole en presence de couvertures de glace solide ont deja fait I'objet de plusieurs etudes. II existe d'ailleurs a ce sujet de bonnes donnies experimentales ainsi que quelques donnies in situ. Cependant, il en existe tres peu sur la propagation du petrole en presence de couvertures de glace cassCe. Ce manque de donnees ainsi que la complexitC de tenir compte de differents types de glace cassee sont les principales raisons qui expliquent la mauvaise comprehension des mecanismes de propagation du petrole en presence de ce type de couverture. Dans cet article, une etude en laboratoire visant a analyser le comportement du petrole lorsqu'il est diverse sous une couverture de glace cassee est presentee. Les experiences tenaient compte de diffirents paramktres, dont : epaisseurs variees de couverture de glace, glace artificielle ou naturelle, huiles de differentes viscosites et diverses conditions de volume et de debit.Les observations en laboratoire indiquent que le comportement du petrole deversi sous une couverture de glace fragmentee depend du type de couverture. Bien que le petrole puisse s'infiltrer en totalite a I'interieur d'un certain type de couverture, il peut Cgalement ne pas s'infiltrer en presence d'un autre type. Dans les couvertures ou il y a infiltration de petrole, ce dernier se propage d'abord sous la glace en m&me temps qu'une migration se produit...

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Modelling the behaviour of oil spills in ice‐infested waters

Cited by 50 publications

References 18 publications

Increasing transnational sea‐ice exchange in a changing Arctic Ocean

Increasing transnational sea‐ice exchange in a changing Arctic Ocean

Validation of Oil Spill Transport and Fate Modeling in Arctic Ice

Radial spreading of oil under and over broken ice: an experimental study

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