Prediction of the dispersal of oil transport in the Caspian Sea resulting from a continuous release

A 3-D hybrid flow/transport model has been developed to predict the dispersal of oil pollution in coastal waters. The transport module of the model takes predetermined current and turbulent diffusivities and uses Lagrangian tracking to predict the motion of individual particles (droplets), the sum of which constitute a hypothetical oil spill. Currents and turbulent diffusivities used in the model have been generated by a numerical ocean circulation model (Princeton ocean model) implemented for the Caspian Sea. The basic processes affecting the fate of the oil spill are taken into account and parameterized in the transport model. The hybrid model is implemented for a simulated continuous release in the coastal waters of the Caspian Sea. The potential of the model for the prediction of the advective and turbulent transport and dispersal of oil spills is demonstrated. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.