Abstract:
A flexible 2D/3D oil spill modeling system addressing the distinct nature of the surface and water column
fluids, major oil weathering and improved retention/reposition processes in coastal zones is presented.
The system integrates hydrodynamic, transport and oil weathering modules, which can be combined
to offer different-complexity descriptions as required by applications across the river-to-ocean continuum.
Features include accounting for different composition and reology in the surface and water column
mixtures, as well as spreading, evaporation, water-in-oil emulsification, shoreline retention, dispersion
and dissolution. The use of unstructured grids provides flexibility and efficiency in handling spills in complex
geometries and across scales. The use of high-order Eulerian–Lagrangian methods allows for computational
efficiency and for handling key processes in ways consistent with their distinct mathematical
nature and time scales. The modeling system is tested through a suite of synthetic, laboratory and realistic-
domain benchmarks, which demonstrate robust handling of key processes and of 2D/3D couplings.
The application of the modeling system to a spill scenario at the entrance of a port in a coastal lagoon
illustrates the power of the approach to represent spills that occur in coastal regions with complex
boundaries and bathymetry.