Environmental effects of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: A review.

Marine Carbon BiogeochemistryBiogeochemical Cycles and ClimateGlobal Biogeochemical Cycles in the Climate SystemOcean Dynamics and the Carbon CycleLive Long and EvolveBiogeochemistry of Marine Dissolved Organic MatterOcean Biogeochemical DynamicsMarine Ecosystems and Global ChangeBiological OceanographyNitrogen in the SeaBiogeochemistry of EstuariesInteractions of C, N, P and S Biogeochemical Cycles and Global ChangeGlobal EnvironmentComputational Science — ICCS 2004The Oceans and ClimateMarine Microbiome and Biogeochemical Cycles in Marine Productive AreasMetal Ions in Biological Systems, Volume 43 Biogeochemical Cycles of ElementsNitrogen in the Marine EnvironmentIntroduction to Marine BiogeochemistryOcean Circulation and ClimatePrimary Productivity and Biogeochemical Cycles in the SeaThe Biogeochemical Cycle of Silicon in the OceanChemical OceanographyTowards a Model of Ocean Biogeochemical ProcessesOcean Dynamics and the Carbon CycleOcean BiogeochemistryParticle Analysis in OceanographyBiogeochemical CyclesBiogeochemical Dynamics at Major River-Coastal InterfacesThe Ocean Carbon Cycle and ClimateSensitivity of global ocean biogeochemical dynamics to ecosystem structure in a future climateModeling Methods for Marine ScienceAn Introduction to the Chemistry of the SeaEncyclopedia of Ocean SciencesCO2 in Seawater: Equilibrium, Kinetics, IsotopesThe Biogeochemical Cycle of Silicon in the OceanKuroshio CurrentThe Mediterranean Sea in the Era of Global Change 1Ocean Biogeochemical DynamicsOcean Mixing

Ocean Biogeochemical Dynamics

https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1251&context=msc_facpub

Assessing the Impacts of Oil-associated Marine Snow Formation and Sedimentation during and after the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

When wind speeds are 2-10 m s-1, reflective contrasts in the ocean surface make oil slicks visible to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) under all sky conditions. Neural network analysis of satellite SAR images quantified the magnitude and distribution of surface oil in the Gulf of Mexico from persistent, natural seeps and from the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) discharge. This analysis identified 914 natural oil seep zones across the entire Gulf of Mexico in pre-2010 data. Their ∼0.1 µm slicks covered an aggregated average of 775 km2. Assuming an average volume of 77.5 m3 over an 8-24 h lifespan per oil slick, the floating oil indicates a surface flux of 2.5-9.4 × 104 m3 yr-1. Oil from natural slicks was regionally concentrated: 68%, 25%, 7%, and <1% of the total was observed in the NW, SW, NE, and SE Gulf, respectively. This reflects differences in basin history and hydrocarbon generation. SAR images from 2010 showed that the 87 day DWH discharge produced a surface-oil footprint fundamentally different from background seepage, with an average ocean area of 11,200 km2 (SD 5028) and a volume of 22,600 m3 (SD 5411). Peak magnitudes of oil were detected during equivalent, ∼14 day intervals around 23 May and 18 June, when wind speeds remained <5 m s-1. Over this interval, aggregated volume of floating oil decreased by 21%; area covered increased by 49% (p < 0.1), potentially altering its ecological impact. The most likely causes were increased applications of dispersant and surface burning operations.

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Natural and Unnatural Oil Slicks in the Gulf of Mexico

State of the art review and future directions in oil spill modeling.

Intercomparison of oil spill prediction models for accidental blowout scenarios with and without subsea chemical dispersant injection.

Approach for assessing coastal vulnerability to oil spills for prevention and readiness using GIS and the Blowout and Spill Occurrence Model

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Lawrence H. Sim

Papers

Intercomparison of oil spill prediction models for accidental blowout scenarios with and without subsea chemical dispersant injection.

Approach for assessing coastal vulnerability to oil spills for prevention and readiness using GIS and the Blowout and Spill Occurrence Model

Blowout and spill occurrence model