1. Progress in operational modeling in support of oil spill response
- Author
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Eric P. Chassignet, Brian Zelenke, Christopher H. Barker, Rafael Vergara Schiller, Aijun Zhang, Steve G. Buschang, Donald Gregory Danmeier, Tamay M. Özgökmen, Yannis Androulidakis, Dalina L. Thrift-Viveros, J. A. Galt, Yangxing Zheng, C. J. Beegle-Krause, Gregg A. Jacobs, Mark A. Bourassa, Vassiliki H. Kourafalou, Anusha L. Dissanayake, Scott A. Socolofsky, Knut-Frode Dagestad, Michel C. Boufadel, Guillaume Marcotte, Nadia Pinardi, Barker C.H., Kourafalou V.H., Beegle-Krause C.J., Boufadel M., Bourassa M.A., Buschang S.G., Androulidakis Y., Chassignet E.P., Dagestad K.-F., Danmeier D.G., Dissanayake A.L., Galt J.A., Jacobs G., Marcotte G., Ozgokmen T., Pinardi N., Schiller R.V., Socolofsky S.A., Thrift-Viveros D., Zelenke B., Zhang A., and Zheng Y.
- Subjects
Engineering ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Data products ,Oil spill response ,Best practice ,Ocean modeling ,Ocean Engineering ,010501 environmental sciences ,Research initiative ,01 natural sciences ,lcsh:Oceanography ,lcsh:VM1-989 ,Application protocol ,lcsh:GC1-1581 ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,Water Science and Technology ,Civil and Structural Engineering ,Government ,business.industry ,Environmental resource management ,Oil spill ,lcsh:Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering ,Operational modeling ,Deepwater horizon ,business ,Communications protocol - Abstract
Following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon accident of a massive blow-out in the Gulf of Mexico, scientists from government, industry, and academia collaborated to advance oil spill modeling and share best practices in model algorithms, parameterizations, and application protocols. This synergy was greatly enhanced by research funded under the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI), a 10-year enterprise that allowed unprecedented collection of observations and data products, novel experiments, and international collaborations that focused on the Gulf of Mexico, but resulted in the generation of scientific findings and tools of broader value. Operational oil spill modeling greatly benefited from research during the GoMRI decade. This paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of the related scientific advances, remaining challenges, and future outlook. Two main modeling components are discussed: Ocean circulation and oil spill models, to provide details on all attributes that contribute to the success and limitations of the integrated oil spill forecasts. These forecasts are discussed in tandem with uncertainty factors and methods to mitigate them. The paper focuses on operational aspects of oil spill modeling and forecasting, including examples of international operational center practices, observational needs, communication protocols, and promising new methodologies.
- Published
- 2020