OIL-HOLDING CAPACITIES AND REMOVAL COEFFICIENTS FOR DIFFERENT SHORELINE TYPES TO COMPUTER SIMULATE SPILLS IN COASTAL WATERS

Abstract

ABSTRACT Two components have been developed and integrated into a coastline oil spill simulation model: (1) an oil holding capacity for different shoreline types to represent the amount of oil that can be brought onto the shoreline, and (2) a removal coefficient to reflect the amount of oil that can be removed from a beach during a rising tide. The oil holding capacity changes with oil viscosity. The combination of these two factors, delineated for seven shoreline types and tied to chemical weathering and surf zone transport submodels, enables the basic prediction of oil motion and persistence within most marine environments.