Integrating technologies for oil spill response in the SW Iberian coast

Abstract

An operational oil spill modelling system developed for the SW Iberia Coast is used to investigate the relative importance of the different components and technologies integrating an oil spill monitoring and response structure. A backtrack of a CleanSeaNet oil detection in the region is used to demonstrate the concept. Taking advantage of regional operational products available, the system provides the necessary resolution to go from regional to coastal scales using a downscalling approach, while a multi-grid methodology allows the based oil spill model to span across model domains taking full advantage of the increasing resolution between the model grids. An extensive validation procedure using a multiplicity of sensors, with good spatial and temporal coverage, strengthens the operational system ability to accurately solve coastal scale processes. The model is validated using available trajectories from satellite-tracked drifters. Finally, a methodology is proposed to identifying potential origins for the CleanSeaNet oil detection, by combining model backtrack results with ship trajectories supplied by AIS was developed, including the error estimations found in the backtrack validation.

SMS-Coastal, a New Python Tool to Manage MOHID-Based Coastal Operational Models

“…SOMA is a 3D system that encompasses two increasing resolution levels: one with 2 km grid cells and another with 1 km grid cells. The details regarding the model's implementation can be found in [31]. It produces four-day forecasts of currents, salinity, and temperature and has been operational since 7 July 2019.…”

Marine Litter on the Coast of the Algarve: Main Sources and Distribution Using a Modeling Approach

“…SOMA is based on the MOHID (derived from the Portuguese abbreviation of "MODelo HIDrodinâmico") water modelling system, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic modelling system that integrates diverse modules in an object-oriented programming approach. This approach isolates different parts of the code and allows communication among them using simple and robust interfaces [23]. The hydrodynamic module computes and updates the flow information solving the primitive Navier-Stokes equations in the three-dimensional space for incompressible fluids.…”

“…The first domain, hereby called Level 1 (Figure 1), spans from 36 • to 38.36 • N and 6.54 • to 10.44 • W, with a horizontal resolution of 3 km and a time step of 30 s. The main domain (Level 2) covers the entire Algarve region with 1 km spatial resolution and a time step of 15 s. Both levels share the same vertical resolution with 50 vertical levels with a variable vertical resolution decreasing from 1 m at the surface down to 20 m at the bottom. More information on SOMA and its validation can be found on [23].…”

Validation of the 3D-MOHID Hydrodynamic Model for the Tagus Coastal Area

“…Indeed, in the last four years the MOHID Water was applied in multiple studies worldwide, namely in Canada [13], Colombia [14,15], Brazil [16], Argentina [17,18], Uruguay [19], Holland [20], France [21], Spain [22], Croatia [23], Australia [24,25], Malaysia [26] and Korea [27]. In Portugal, this model has been implemented in the entire Portuguese coast [28][29][30] and in all main estuaries [31][32][33][34][35].…”

“…Nonetheless, in 3D hydrodynamic models, validation requires the comparison of the model results with at least sea level, current speed, and current direction [54,55], and since the model application is baroclinic, validation should also consider seawater temperature and salinity. Janeiro et al [30] validated a 3D application of the MOHID Water model for southern Portugal by comparing in situ measurements and HF Radar with predictions for all the five variables above. Although the TagusROFI domain has been applied in several research studies and as a tool for its management, this study will provide a higher insight concerning the validation of the results.…”