A Study of the Behavior of Oil Spills in the Arctic

Abstract

A program to investigate the behavior of oil spills in the Arctic was conducted off the northern coast of Alaska. Numerous small oil spills were made to obtain data on the following subjects: the spreading behavior of crude oil on ice and water surfaces; the interaction characteristics of crude oil with ice; the aging characteristics of crude oil which has been spilled on ice, on water, and under ice; and the effectiveness of burning and adsorption as methods of removal. Both Prudhoe Bay ('Sag' River) crude oil and diesel fuel were used in the test program. Results quantify spreading and interaction characteristics in addition to presenting qualitative information on each area of interest. Promise is shown for both burning and absorption as methods of oil removal in the summer. Data is presented on both the physical and chemical characteristics of aged crude oil.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0717142

Entities

People

  • George P. Vance
  • John L. Glaeser

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Boundary Layer
  • Chromatography
  • Coast Guard
  • Diesel Fuels
  • Environment
  • Gas Chromatography
  • Heat Energy
  • Latent Heat
  • Layers
  • Lepidoptera
  • Measurement
  • Petroleum
  • Physical Properties
  • Specific Gravity
  • Surface Tension
  • Temperature Gradients
  • Viscosity

Readers

  • Marine Ecotoxicology
  • Polar and Arctic Studies
  • Systems Analysis and Design