Oil spill transport modeling in shelf, estuary, and intracoastal regions

本研究的主要目标是进一步开发、应用和分析一种计算工具，该工具可用于检查美国东海岸的运输趋势，包括佛罗里达州、佐治亚州和北卡罗来纳州，因为它们与深水地平线石油泄漏有关。这个计算工具的核心部分将是高级环流（ADCIRC）水动力模型。ADCIRC是求解时间的有限元模型吗？依赖、自由地表环流和输运问题在两个？和三维吗?。该地区现有的有限元网格将进一步发展，以提供前所未有的分辨率和物理细节，包括沿海河流和泻湖，潮汐小溪，大西洋近岸内航道和潮汐淹没沼泽的详细覆盖范围。精确模拟该地区潮汐动力学以及飓风风暴潮的能力，将与ADCIRC模式最近和正在进行的使用不连续Galerkin方法的传输能力的发展相结合。高分辨率有限元网格、精确模拟潮汐和风暴潮动力学的能力以及稳健的质量守恒传输算法这三个关键组件的集成和进一步发展，将提供一个强大的计算工具，用于模拟美国东海岸深水地平线石油泄漏的传输趋势。2010年4月20日，位于路易斯安那州海岸东南方向40英里处的“深水地平线”海上钻井平台发生井喷爆炸，导致“深水地平线”漏油事故。与深水地平线石油泄漏有关的一个主要和紧迫的问题是浮油到达环流的可能性。一种温暖的洋流，进入墨西哥湾，向北流经尤卡坦海峡，向东流经佛罗里达海峡，沿着佛罗里达东海岸继续向北流动，称为墨西哥湾流。进入环流的石油最终会被运送到遥远的大西洋，在那里，与墨西哥湾流西部边缘分离的大规模漩涡有可能将石油带到美国东海岸。在即将到来的大西洋飓风季节，人们对石油运输可能会产生额外的担忧。活跃到极度活跃？飓风季节。向美国东海岸运输石油？通过到达环流的方式还是从飓风的开始？显然会对沿海环境产生重大不利影响，严重破坏他们的海滩和沿海湿地，这些湿地是鱼类和野生动物的重要栖息地。该提案的主要目标是提供一种计算工具，用于帮助分析和评估美国东海岸（包括佛罗里达州、佐治亚州和北卡罗来纳州）深水地平线漏油事件可能造成的损害。具体来说，墨西哥湾流涡流所携带的溢油残留物（如焦油球）的命运和运输将沿着大陆架进入大西洋近岸内航道和河口系统。利用现有的数据来源，将进行模拟，最终确定特别容易接收输送石油的区域和可能沉积的区域。该模型和结果也将被转移到墨西哥湾的其他地区。

The main goal of this research is to further develop, apply, and analyze a computational tool that can be used to examine the transport tendencies along the U.S. East Coast including Florida, Georgia, and both Carolinas as they relate to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The central piece of this computational tool will be the Advanced Circulation (ADCIRC) hydrodynamic model. ADCIRC is a finite element model for solving time?dependent, free surface circulation and transport problems in two? and three?dimensions. Existing finite element meshes of the region will be further developed to provide an unprecedented level of resolution and physical detail, including detailed coverage of coastal rivers and lagoons, tidal creeks, the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, and tidally flooded marshes. The ability to accurately simulate the tidal dynamics of this region, as well as hurricane storm surge, will be coupled with recent and ongoing development of the transport capabilities of the ADCIRC model using discontinuous Galerkin methods. The integration and further development of these three key components, i.e., the high-resolution finite element meshes, the ability to accurately simulate tidal and storm surge dynamics, and robust, mass-conserving transport algorithms, will provide a powerful computational tool that will be used to simulate the transport tendencies of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill along the U.S. East Coast.The Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on April 20, 2010 as a result of an oil well blowout that caused an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling platform located forty miles southeast off the Louisiana coast. A major and immediate concern related to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is the possibility of the oil slick reaching the Loop Current ? a warm ocean current that enters the Gulf of Mexico flowing northward through the Yucatan Strait and that exits flowing east through the Florida Straits continuing northward along the east coast of Florida as the Gulf Stream. Oil entering the Loop Current would eventually be transported far afield to the Atlantic Ocean where the presence of large-scale eddies that separate from the western edge of the Gulf Stream have the potential to carry oil toward the U.S. East Coast. There is additional concern regarding the transport of oil that may occur during the upcoming Atlantic Hurricane Season, which has been forecasted by NOAA to be an ?active to extremely active? hurricane season. The transport of oil towards the U.S. East Coast ? by means of reaching the Loop Current or from the onset of a hurricane ? would obviously have a major detrimental impact on the coastal environment, severely damaging their beaches and coastal wetlands, which serve as critical habitats to the fish and wildlife. The primary objective of this proposal is to provide a computational tool that will be used to help analyze and assess possible damage from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill along the U.S. East Coast including Florida, Georgia, and both Carolinas.Specifically, the fate and transport of oil spill remnants (e.g., tarballs) entrained in Gulf Stream eddies and feeding the U.S. East Coast will be modeled along the shelf and into the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway and estuarine systems. Using available data sources, simulations will be performed to ultimately identify areas especially susceptible to receiving transported oil and likely areas of deposition. The model and results will also be transferable to other regions of the Gulf of Mexico.