1. EXPANDED UNDERWATER ROBOTICS READY FOR OIL SPILL
Oil Spill ResponseTools: Sensors and Models
EXPANDED UNDERWATER ROBOTICS READY FOR OIL SPILL
D. Hayes, G. Georgiou
Oceanography Center, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus

2. Oil Spill Response Tools: Sensors and Models
Outline
Introduction to the use of oil spill modelling
What are oil spill models?
Examples of operation.
Introduction to sensors for oil detection
What is commonly used?
Application case studies.

3. Oil Spill Response Tools: Sensors and Models
Oil Fate Modelling
MedSlik II: Open source, compatible with local and MyOcean products
Requires, surface temperature, currents, winds
Type and amount of oil for evaporation effect
Wave effect if needed
‘sticking’ to coast is simulated
Beirut
Simulation of the oil dispersion from 13 July to 2 August 2006

4. Oil Spill Response Tools: Sensors and Models
Defining an oil spill
Unwanted release of hydrocarbons or mixture containing hydrocarbons
Type(s) of hydrocarbon (crude, refined or mixture) and properties
Rate and duration, or total volume of release
Position of release (surface, seafloor, or mid-depth point(s))
Environmental conditions (winds, currents, waves, temperature, stratification)
Oil Fate Modelling
Dynamic processes (by order of importance)
Advection-diffusion (spreading by winds, currents and turbulence)
Evaporation
Emulsification
Oxidation
Bacterial degradation
Dissolution
(from Bobra and Fingas, 1986)

5. Oil Spill Response Tools: Sensors and Models
Inputs
Ocean currents, followed by sea surface temperature and wind.
Direct measurement-surface drifter, current meter
Model predictions-operational models like CYCOM or CMEMS (Copernicus)

6. Oil Spill Response Tools: Sensors and Models
Models (free and/or open source)
General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment (GNOME) oil spill trajectory model Emergency Response Division (ERD) (free)
ADIOS: Automated Data Inquiry for Oil Spills for weathering only
MedSLIK-II (open source), used in this project and in previous
t=0 1h 2h

7. Oil Spill Response Tools: Sensors and Models
Sensors for in water detection
Based on fluorescence: many possible substances mean false positives likely
Multiple probes must be used simultaneously (turbidity, CDOM, conductivity, oxygen)
Calibration impossible for real spills-best case is “present or not present”
Confirmation with remote sensing, visual observation, water samples if possible