industry and was used extensively during Deepwater
Horizon (Santner et al., 2011).
Oil spill modeling
Advances in oil spill modeling occurred with the inclusion
of oil-holding capacities (Gundlach, 1987) based on the
sedimentary characteristics, the oil type, the depositional
width of the shoreline, the tidal range, and the application
of a removal rate parameter dependent on shoreline type
(Reed et al., 1989; Howlett and Jayko, 1998; Etkin et al.,
2007). The integration of coastal characteristics into oil
spill models enables a more realistic representation of
what happens when spilled oil reaches the shoreline. Some
spill models simplify the entire process into a simple
reflotation parameter (i.e., high reflotation from exposed
rock surfaces, low reflotation from sheltered marshes
and mangroves). The testing of various reflotation parameters for the same section of shoreline indicates their
importance for spill modeling (Danchuk and Wilson,
2010).
Shore zone coastal mapping
Shore zone mapping uses low-altitude high-resolution
photography and video surveying to classify the shoreline
into standardized geomorphic and biological categories. It
is used to characterize large sections of coastline (e.g.,
Alaska) with the benefit that images and data are able to
be retrieved from any web-linked computer (Hamey
et al., 2008; NOAA Fisheries, 2012). The access to these
images is a valuable tool for both spill planning and
response.
Summary and conclusions
The scientific understanding of oil spill interactions in the
coastal and marine environments has progressed substantially from its initial beginnings in the mid-1970s. Because
of their unique background in understanding these interactions and affecting processes, marine geoscientists play a
key role in providing technical and scientific support during most major oil spills occurring today.
Bibliography
Baker, J. M., Guzman, L., Bartlett, P. D., Little, D. I., and Wilson,
C. M., 1993. Long-term fate and effects of untreated thick oil
deposits on salt marshes. In Proceedings International Oil Spill
Conference, pp. 395–399. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1993-1-395.
Barth, H.-J., 2002. The 1991 Gulf War Oil Spill, its Ecological
Effects and Recovery Rates of Intertidal Ecosystems at the Saudi
Arabian Gulf coast – Results of a 10-year Monitoring Period.
Wissenschaftliche Arbeit Im Rahmen des Habilitationsverfahrens im Fach Geographie, 270 pp. http://www.jubailwildlife-sanctuary.info/pdf/Barth2002.pdf. Accessed December
2012.
Bernabeu, A. M., Nuez de la Fuente, M., Rey, D., Rubio, B., Vilas,
F., Medina, R., and González, M. E., 2006. Beach
morphodynamics forcements in oiled shorelines: coupled physical and chemical processes during and after fuel burial. Marine
Pollution
Bulletin,
52,
1156–1168,
doi:10.1016/j.
marpolbul.2006.01.013.
Bernabeu, A. M., Rey, D., Lago, A., and Villas, F., 2010. Simulating
the influence of physicochemical parameters on subsurface oil
on beaches: preliminary results. Marine Pollution Bulletin,
60(8), 1170–1174, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.04.001.
Bragg, J. R., and Owens, E. H., 1995. Shoreline cleansing by interactions between oil and fine mineral particles. In Proceedings
International Oil Spill Conference, pp. 219–227.
doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1995-1-219.
Cheong, C.-J., 2004. Penetration of dispersed and weathered oil and
its ecological implication in model sandy beach. Environmental
Engineering Research, 9, 23–30.
Danchuk, S., and Wilson, C. S., 2010. Effects of shoreline sensitivity on oil spill trajectory modeling of the Lower Mississippi
River. Environmental Science Pollution Research, 17,
331–340, doi:10.1007/s11356-009-0159-8.
DeMicco, E., Schuler, P. A., Omer, T., and Baca, B., 2011. Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) of dispersed oil on nearshore tropical ecosystems: TROPICS – the 25th year research
visit. In Proceedings International Oil Spill Conference,
14 pp. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-2011-1-282.
Etkin, D., French-McCay, D., and Michel, J., 2007. Review of the
State-of-the-Art on Modeling Interactions between Spilled Oil
and Shorelines for the Development of Algorithms for Oil Spill
Risk Analysis Modeling. OCS Study MMS 007–063, U.S.
Department of Interior, 157 pp.
FISG, 2010. Oil Budget Calculator, Deepwater Horizon. Technical
Documentation, November 2010. The Federal Interagency Solutions Group, 217 pp.
González, M., Medina, R., Bernabeu, A. M., and Novóa, X., 2009.
Influence of beach morphodynamics in the deep burial of fuel in
beaches. Journal of Coastal Research, 25(4), 799–818.
Gundlach, E. R., 1987. Oil-holding capacities and removal
coefficients for different shoreline types to computer simulate
spills in coastal waters. In Proceedings International Oil
Spill Conference, pp. 451–457. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-19871-451.
Gundlach, E. R., 1997. Comparative photographs of the Metula
spill site, 21 years later. In Proceedings International Oil Spill
Conference, pp. 1042–1044. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1997-11042.
Gundlach, E. R., and Hayes, M., 1978. Classification of coastal
environments in terms of potential vulnerability to oil spill damage. Marine Technology Society Journal, 12(4), 18–27.
Gundlach, E. R., Ruby, C. H., Hayes, M. O., and Blount, A. E.,
1978a. The Urquiola oil spill, La Coruña, Spain: impact and
reaction on beaches and rocky coasts. Environmental Geology,
2(3), 131–143.
Gundlach, E. R., Hayes, M. O., Ruby, C. H., Ward, L. G., Blount,
A. E., Fischer, I. A., and Stein, R. J., 1978b. Some guidelines
for oil spill control in coastal environments, based on field studies of four oil spills. In Proceedings Symposium on Chemical
Dispersants for the Control of Oil Spills, ASTM STP 659. American Society for Testing and Materials, pp. 98–118. doi:10.1520/
STP659-EB.
Gundlach, E. R., Berne, S., D’Ozouville, L., and Topinka, J. A.,
1981. Shoreline oil two years after Amoco Cadiz, new complications from Tanio. In Proceedings International Oil Spill Conference, pp. 525–534. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1981-1-525.
Gundlach, E. R., Domeracki, D. D., and Thebeau, L. C., 1982. Persistence of Metula oil in the Strait of Magellan, six and one-half
years after the incident. Journal Oil and Petrochemical Pollution, 1, 37–48.
Gundlach, E. R., Boehm, P. D., Marchand, M., Atlas, R. M., Ward,
D. M., and Wolfe, D. A., 1983. The fate of Amoco Cadiz oil. Science, 221, 122–129.
Hamey, J. N., Morris, M., and Harper, J. R., 2008. ShoreZone
Coastal Habitat Mapping Protocol for the Gulf of Alaska,
590
OIL SPILL
Horizon (Santner et al., 2011).
Oil spill modeling
Advances in oil spill modeling occurred with the inclusion
of oil-holding capacities (Gundlach, 1987) based on the
sedimentary characteristics, the oil type, the depositional
width of the shoreline, the tidal range, and the application
of a removal rate parameter dependent on shoreline type
(Reed et al., 1989; Howlett and Jayko, 1998; Etkin et al.,
2007). The integration of coastal characteristics into oil
spill models enables a more realistic representation of
what happens when spilled oil reaches the shoreline. Some
spill models simplify the entire process into a simple
reflotation parameter (i.e., high reflotation from exposed
rock surfaces, low reflotation from sheltered marshes
and mangroves). The testing of various reflotation parameters for the same section of shoreline indicates their
importance for spill modeling (Danchuk and Wilson,
2010).
Shore zone coastal mapping
Shore zone mapping uses low-altitude high-resolution
photography and video surveying to classify the shoreline
into standardized geomorphic and biological categories. It
is used to characterize large sections of coastline (e.g.,
Alaska) with the benefit that images and data are able to
be retrieved from any web-linked computer (Hamey
et al., 2008; NOAA Fisheries, 2012). The access to these
images is a valuable tool for both spill planning and
response.
Summary and conclusions
The scientific understanding of oil spill interactions in the
coastal and marine environments has progressed substantially from its initial beginnings in the mid-1970s. Because
of their unique background in understanding these interactions and affecting processes, marine geoscientists play a
key role in providing technical and scientific support during most major oil spills occurring today.
Bibliography
Baker, J. M., Guzman, L., Bartlett, P. D., Little, D. I., and Wilson,
C. M., 1993. Long-term fate and effects of untreated thick oil
deposits on salt marshes. In Proceedings International Oil Spill
Conference, pp. 395–399. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1993-1-395.
Barth, H.-J., 2002. The 1991 Gulf War Oil Spill, its Ecological
Effects and Recovery Rates of Intertidal Ecosystems at the Saudi
Arabian Gulf coast – Results of a 10-year Monitoring Period.
Wissenschaftliche Arbeit Im Rahmen des Habilitationsverfahrens im Fach Geographie, 270 pp. http://www.jubailwildlife-sanctuary.info/pdf/Barth2002.pdf. Accessed December
2012.
Bernabeu, A. M., Nuez de la Fuente, M., Rey, D., Rubio, B., Vilas,
F., Medina, R., and González, M. E., 2006. Beach
morphodynamics forcements in oiled shorelines: coupled physical and chemical processes during and after fuel burial. Marine
Pollution
Bulletin,
52,
1156–1168,
doi:10.1016/j.
marpolbul.2006.01.013.
Bernabeu, A. M., Rey, D., Lago, A., and Villas, F., 2010. Simulating
the influence of physicochemical parameters on subsurface oil
on beaches: preliminary results. Marine Pollution Bulletin,
60(8), 1170–1174, doi:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2010.04.001.
Bragg, J. R., and Owens, E. H., 1995. Shoreline cleansing by interactions between oil and fine mineral particles. In Proceedings
International Oil Spill Conference, pp. 219–227.
doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1995-1-219.
Cheong, C.-J., 2004. Penetration of dispersed and weathered oil and
its ecological implication in model sandy beach. Environmental
Engineering Research, 9, 23–30.
Danchuk, S., and Wilson, C. S., 2010. Effects of shoreline sensitivity on oil spill trajectory modeling of the Lower Mississippi
River. Environmental Science Pollution Research, 17,
331–340, doi:10.1007/s11356-009-0159-8.
DeMicco, E., Schuler, P. A., Omer, T., and Baca, B., 2011. Net Environmental Benefit Analysis (NEBA) of dispersed oil on nearshore tropical ecosystems: TROPICS – the 25th year research
visit. In Proceedings International Oil Spill Conference,
14 pp. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-2011-1-282.
Etkin, D., French-McCay, D., and Michel, J., 2007. Review of the
State-of-the-Art on Modeling Interactions between Spilled Oil
and Shorelines for the Development of Algorithms for Oil Spill
Risk Analysis Modeling. OCS Study MMS 007–063, U.S.
Department of Interior, 157 pp.
FISG, 2010. Oil Budget Calculator, Deepwater Horizon. Technical
Documentation, November 2010. The Federal Interagency Solutions Group, 217 pp.
González, M., Medina, R., Bernabeu, A. M., and Novóa, X., 2009.
Influence of beach morphodynamics in the deep burial of fuel in
beaches. Journal of Coastal Research, 25(4), 799–818.
Gundlach, E. R., 1987. Oil-holding capacities and removal
coefficients for different shoreline types to computer simulate
spills in coastal waters. In Proceedings International Oil
Spill Conference, pp. 451–457. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-19871-451.
Gundlach, E. R., 1997. Comparative photographs of the Metula
spill site, 21 years later. In Proceedings International Oil Spill
Conference, pp. 1042–1044. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1997-11042.
Gundlach, E. R., and Hayes, M., 1978. Classification of coastal
environments in terms of potential vulnerability to oil spill damage. Marine Technology Society Journal, 12(4), 18–27.
Gundlach, E. R., Ruby, C. H., Hayes, M. O., and Blount, A. E.,
1978a. The Urquiola oil spill, La Coruña, Spain: impact and
reaction on beaches and rocky coasts. Environmental Geology,
2(3), 131–143.
Gundlach, E. R., Hayes, M. O., Ruby, C. H., Ward, L. G., Blount,
A. E., Fischer, I. A., and Stein, R. J., 1978b. Some guidelines
for oil spill control in coastal environments, based on field studies of four oil spills. In Proceedings Symposium on Chemical
Dispersants for the Control of Oil Spills, ASTM STP 659. American Society for Testing and Materials, pp. 98–118. doi:10.1520/
STP659-EB.
Gundlach, E. R., Berne, S., D’Ozouville, L., and Topinka, J. A.,
1981. Shoreline oil two years after Amoco Cadiz, new complications from Tanio. In Proceedings International Oil Spill Conference, pp. 525–534. doi:10.7901/2169-3358-1981-1-525.
Gundlach, E. R., Domeracki, D. D., and Thebeau, L. C., 1982. Persistence of Metula oil in the Strait of Magellan, six and one-half
years after the incident. Journal Oil and Petrochemical Pollution, 1, 37–48.
Gundlach, E. R., Boehm, P. D., Marchand, M., Atlas, R. M., Ward,
D. M., and Wolfe, D. A., 1983. The fate of Amoco Cadiz oil. Science, 221, 122–129.
Hamey, J. N., Morris, M., and Harper, J. R., 2008. ShoreZone
Coastal Habitat Mapping Protocol for the Gulf of Alaska,
590
OIL SPILL