Modelling of oil spills in confined maritime basins: The case for early response in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Alves, Tiago M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2765-3760, Kokinou, Eleni, Zodiatis, George, Lardner, Robin, Panagiotakis, Costas and Radhakrishnan, Hari 2015. Modelling of oil spills in confined maritime basins: The case for early response in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Environmental Pollution 206 , pp. 390-399. 10.1016/j.envpol.2015.07.042

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Abstract

Oil spill models are combined with bathymetric, meteorological, oceanographic, and geomorphological data to model a series of oil spill accidents in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. A total of 104 oil spill simulations, computed for 11 different locations in the Levantine Basin, show that oil slicks will reach the coast of Cyprus in four (4) to seven (7) days in summer conditions. Oil slick trajectories are controlled by prevailing winds and current eddies. Based on these results, we support the use of chemical dispersants in the very few hours after large accidental oil spills. As a corollary, we show shoreline susceptibility to vary depending on: a) differences in coastline morphology and exposure to wave action, b) the existence of uplifted wave-cut platforms, coastal lagoons and pools, and c) the presence of tourist and protected environmental areas. Mitigation work should take into account the relatively high susceptibility of parts of the Eastern Mediterranean.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Earth and Environmental Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QE Geology
Additional Information:	This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) licence Available online 4 August 2015
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0269-7491
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	30 March 2016
Date of Acceptance:	25 July 2015
Last Modified:	11 Oct 2023 17:41
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/75087

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