Understanding the next oil spill
Consortium for Advanced Research on Transport of Hydrocarbon in the Environment
July 10, 2019 Using 40 years of observations from the NOAA’s Global Drifter Program Array, the authors depict the annual mean speed of ocean currents at 15 meters depth. The vectors highlight the general direction of the large-scale circulation. Image provided by Lucas Laurindo, University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science. Scientists […]
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June 11, 2019 Our knowledge about ocean transport comes primarily from ocean circulation models that use field observations and theoretical motion equations to simulate ocean dynamics. Ocean models can depict large-scale circulation features accurately, but resolutions high enough to capture all scales of motion entail significant computational time and cost and are challenging or even […]
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June 4, 2019 Scientists assessed an economical 2D model simulation of deep-ocean oil plume dynamics against 3D model results using conditions similar to Deepwater Horizon to better understand point-source buoyant convection, which affects the oil’s spreading rate and environmental impact. The 2D model worked best for thermal plumes without bubbles. Although the 2D model successfully […]
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