Author(s)

E. Comerma, M. Espino, P. Daniel, A. Doré & F. Cabioch

Abstract

An update of an oil spill model and its application in the Bay of Biscay: the weathering processes E. Comerma1, M. Espino1, P. Daniel2, A. Dore3 & F. Cabioch3 1 Laboratorio de Ingenieria Maritima, ETS Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos de Barcelona, Universidad Politknica de Catahria, Barcelona, Spain. 2 Meteo-France, DPrevi/MAR, Toulouse, France. 3 Cedre, Brest, France. Abstract Towards collaboration between the Maritime Engineering Lab. (LIM) and the French National Meteorological Service (Meteo-France), a forecasting system of the evolution of oil slicks released at sea is being improved. Both LIM and Meteo-France have focused their researching lines to the weathering processes of spilled oil in the sea, adding them to their own existing models of transport. The main processes of weathering are included, as evaporation, emulsification and above all, their consequences on the physical-chemical properties of the oil (such as density and viscosity). In addition, a new distribution of oil droplets size is used in order to obtain an accurate simulation of vertical dispersion process. These updates are tested with simulations runs in the Bay of Biscay. The knowledge of the area of the LIM (due to monitoring of the hydrodynamics fields and related works carried out in this zone) and the tracking of true events of marine pollution from CEDRE (Centre de Documentation de Recherche er d’Exptrimentations sur les pollutioiis accidentelles des eau) and Meteo-France, will allow the validation of the forecasting system and the fight of oil marine pollution.

Keywords