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Effects of Oil Properties and Slick Thickness on Dispersant Field Effectiveness and Oil Fate

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Deep Oil Spills

Abstract

One of the available oil spill response options is to enhance the natural dispersion process by the addition of dispersants known as chemical dispersion. An informed decision for such response requires insight about the added effects of treatment with dispersants on the oil slick fate. To provide such insight, a mathematical model for oil slick elongation as a result of dispersion was developed including the effects of oil viscosity, dispersed oil droplet sizes, and oil layer thickness. This chapter briefly revisits this oil slick elongation model to explain the consequences of different key parameters on dispersion, vertical droplet size distribution, formation of a comet-like tail and oil slick (dis)appearance, as well as the implications of the results for future decision-making. The model outcomes indicate that wind speed is a very dominant factor in dispersion and subsequent slick behavior. More surprising, the influence of oil type on the elongation process is only limited. The increased density of the high-viscosity oil types allows larger droplets to be stably suspended. High-viscosity oil, however, was found to benefit less from a decrease in interfacial tension than a low-viscosity oil. Weighing estimated risks for adverse effects in the water column with a reduced surface oil presence allows for future dispersant decisions based on a thorough Spill Impact Mitigation Analysis (SIMA).

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Acknowledgments

This research was made possible by a from the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative/C-IMAGE. Data are publicly available through the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC) at https://data.gulfresearchinitiative.org/ (doi:10.7266/n7-8hmm-kx37).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands

    Marieke Zeinstra-Helfrich

  2. Wageningen University, Marine Animal Ecology Group, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Albertinka J. Murk

Authors
  1. Marieke Zeinstra-Helfrich
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  2. Albertinka J. Murk
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marieke Zeinstra-Helfrich .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Steven A. Murawski

  2. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Cameron H. Ainsworth

  3. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg, FL, USA

    Sherryl Gilbert

  4. College of Marine Science, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    David J. Hollander

  5. Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA

    Claire B. Paris

  6. Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany

    Michael Schlüter

  7. Mote Marine Laboratory, Sarasota, FL, USA

    Dana L. Wetzel

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Zeinstra-Helfrich, M., Murk, A.J. (2020). Effects of Oil Properties and Slick Thickness on Dispersant Field Effectiveness and Oil Fate. In: Murawski, S., et al. Deep Oil Spills. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11605-7_10

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