Simulation of Oil Slick Transport in Great Lakes Connecting Channels. Theory and Model Formulation
Abstract
Two-dimensional computer models for simulating oil slick movement in rivers and lakes were developed and then applied to the connecting channels of the upper Great Lakes. In these models the oil slick is considered to be a collection of discrete oil patches. The transformation of an oil slick due to advection, spreading, evaporation and dissolution are considered. In open-water regions the advection of oil patches in the slick are determined by the water current and wind using the drifting factor formulation. Formulas consider the balance of inertia, gravity, viscous and surface tension forces. The oil slick transformation model developed in this study contains as many processes as can be effectively and analytically modeled. The model has several special features, including the ability to model instantaneous and continuous spills, the ability to realistically describe the irregular shapes of an oil slick and the ability to account for the time-dependent variation of the flow conditions. The computer programs are designed so that it will be easy to refine the model elements and expand the model to include additional slick transformation processes. Keywords: Ice cover; Formulas mathematics; Oil spills/circulation; Turbulent diffusion, Transformations mathematics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 01, 1990
- Accession Number
- ADA222446
Entities
People
- Hung T. Shen
- Mark E. Petroski
- Poojitha D. Yapa
Organizations
- Clarkson University