The Behaviour and Fate of Arctic Oil Spills

Abstract

A brief overview is provided, based on several recent reports, of the dominant factors and processes which influence the behaviour and physical fate of spilled crude oil in the remote harsh Arctic offshore regions. These factors and processes include physical-chemical properties, evaporation, dispersion, dissolution, emulsification, physical movement and interaction with ice. Rates of the individual dominant processes for a typical Beaufort oil in the Beaufort Sea under different physical environments are approximated and applied to various spill scenarios. Research needs in this field are summarized.