Advances in operational oil spill modelling: Implications for the protection of the Black Sea Basin
Journal Title: Scientific Annals of the Danube Delta Institute - Year 2014, Vol 20, Issue
Abstract
Oil spills pose a severe threat for the coastal and marine environment, due to their negative impact on ecosystems, habitats and human activities. Oil spill models simulate the processes that control the fate of oil spilled at sea and its interaction with different types of coasts (when attached to them), providing with estimates of the slick’s trajectory, along with the spatial and temporal evolution of oil concentration. The operational applicability of the models is further extended by incorporating the representation of various response actions for the containment and removal of oil (e.g. deployment of booms, use of skimmers / dispersants / sorbents), as well as by coupling them with optimization modules for the optimal allocation of coastal oil slick combatting stations. In the above context, it is self-evident that operational models are nowadays essential in the process of mitigating the effects of oil spills, and do constitute the basis for the set of activities comprised in Oil Spill Response. The present work focuses on recent advances in operational oil spill modelling and analyzes their implications for the protection of the Black Sea Basin. The latter is examined through exemplary applications for the Sea of Azov, a main maritime transport route for ships moving from the Danube to the Caspian Sea and an area of significant environmental importance.
Authors and Affiliations
SAMARAS Achilleas G. , ZAFEIRAKOU Antigoni, PALANTZAS George, KOUTITAS Christopher
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