Analysis of Two Oil Spills in the Southern Brazilian Shelf, in the Years of 2012 and 2014

Abstract

Numerical models have been widely used to simulate and predict the behavior and transport of oil spills in marine environments. Their behavior is governed by physical, chemical and biological processes which are related to the hydrocarbon properties, hydrodynamic and weather conditions, and other environmental variables. The transport and interactions of oil particles were evaluated in simulations reproducing two oil spills recorded in the northern part of the Southern Brazilian Shelf (SBS). The numerical simulations were performed using the ECOS (Easy Coupling Oil System) model coupled to the three-dimensional hydrodynamic module TELEMAC3D. The hydrodynamic model provides the variables needed by oil spill model to calculate and infer the properties and behavior of the oil slick. The results indicate that the local wind forcing is the most important factor in determining the oil fate, followed by the intensities and directions of coastal currents. Regarding the events, in 2012 the oil reached the coast after 10 hours of the leak while in 2014 it was transported towards the ocean. The simulation strategy used in this article did not prove to be appropriate for estimates of the oil risk in the region, due to the distinct susceptibility responses between the events simulated.

Susceptibility to oil spill spreading using case studies and simulated scenarios

“…3-a), presented as the most relevant, dealing with the correlation of the effect of winds on coastal currents, as shown in the one-dimensional wavelet (fig. 2)) and by similar studies (Stringari et al, 2013;Monteiro et al, 2017).…”

“…ECOS represents an oil slick as a set of discrete particles, the displacement and properties of which are updated at each time step considering changes in oil properties and hydrodynamic conditions (Mello et al, 2011;Stringari et al, 2013;Monteiro et al, 2017;. The oil model used takes into account the oil slick evaporation using the algorithms of Stiver and Mackay (1984) and Fingas (1995Fingas ( , 1999, with empirical coefficients obtained from Lehr et al (2002).…”

“…Since the velocities of winds and currents are the main physical effects of oil behaviour in the study area (Janeiro et al, 2008;Stringari et al, 2013;Monteiro et al, 2017;Kirinus et al, 2018), the spill simulations were analysed considering such geophysical variables.…”

Estudo de Cenários de Vazamento de Óleo no Porto de Rio Grande - RS e seus Impactos Ambientais (Study of oil leakage scenarios in the Porto of Rio Grande - RS and its environmental impacts)

“…As velocidades das partículas são interpoladas em cada nó do domínio numérico hidrodinâmico. A posição final da partícula depende de quatro fatores diferentes: velocidade e direção das correntes, velocidade e direção do vento, efeito de espalhamento e difusão turbulenta (Stringari et al, 2013;Monteiro et al 2017;Lopes et al, 2017).…”

Modelagem e simulação de derrames de dois tipos de petróleo baseado na experiência de Tramandaí/RS

“…Os vetores azuis representam as condições de contorno atmosféricas aplicadas na superfície da malha. Adaptado deMonteiro et al (2017).…”