Oil Behaviour in Ice-Infested Waters

Abstract

ABSTRACT The current knowledge of the physical fate and behaviour of crude oil and petroleum products spilled in Arctic situations is reviewed. Oil in and under ice undergoes a variety of processes depending on location and environmental conditions. Modeling of oil in such environments becomes complex by the addition of these processes. Spreading was evaluated for oil on ice, under ice, in snow, in brash ice, and between blocks of ice. Oil transport under sheet and broken ice are considered, both for sea and river conditions. The movement of oil under the ice may be governed by the undersea roughness as well as the relative velocity of the water with respect to the ice. The effects of oil on a growing ice sheet are examined, both for its effects on ice formation and for the thermal effects of oil inclusions in ice. The migration of oil through ice is examined, focussing primarily on the movement through brine channels. The effects of oil on the surface of ice are considered, with emphasis on the effects of surface pools on ice melt. Similar consideration is given to the effects of oil on snow on the surface of ice. The quantitative studies of oil in open and dynamic ice conditions are reviewed. Observations of intentional small-scale spills in leads and ice fields are reviewed and compared with observations from real spills. The most common ultimate fate of oil in an ice field is release onto water. Some of the measurements made in earlier years suffered from the lack of good measurement techniques. Further research is needed to improve the understanding of oil behavior in ice-infested waters.