Marine Oil Spill Simulation: A Scenario-Based Classroom Application of Meteorology and Oceanography to Environmental Protection
| Autor: | Karina L. Mrakovcich, Gregory J. Hall, Lucy S. Vlietstra, Peter A. Tebeau |
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| Rok vydání: | 2014 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | International Oil Spill Conference Proceedings. 2014:292696 |
| ISSN: | 2169-3358 2169-3366 |
| DOI: | 10.7901/2169-3358-2014-1-292696.1 |
| Popis: | Predicting oil spill impacts and designing an effective response requires knowledge from several disciplines, including environmental chemistry, meteorology, oceanography, and marine ecology. In this poster, we describe an interactive computer modeling exercise that expands student understanding of principles in the natural sciences by applying them to an oil spill response scenario. The exercise is based on the software package, GNOME v.1.3.7, available from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Students begin by selecting one of numerous coastal locations in the United States and an oil product to be spilled (e.g., medium crude, diesel fuel, No. 6 fuel oil). They predict oil drift trajectories by accessing surface weather analysis charts, upper air charts, and marine forecasts produced by the National Weather Service as well as real-time oceanographic data available from NOAA's Data Buoy Center and the Tides and Currents database. Students consult the Atlas of Pilot Charts from the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency to evaluate any influence of large-scale currents. Drawing from knowledge of the chemical properties of oil, weathering processes, leeway, Ekman dynamics, tides, and geostrophic flow, students forecast the amount and location of oil remaining after 48 hours. Predictions are tested in GNOME, which simulates an oil spill with the chosen characteristics, at the chosen location, under the same environmental conditions. Based on the model results, students evaluate environmental impacts by referring to Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps for affected coastlines. These maps are available from NOAA's Office of Prevention and Response and contain site-specific information on shoreline habitat sensitivity, conservation status of biological populations, and location of vulnerable coastal infrastructure. Students prioritize areas for protection and design a response plan with appropriate clean-up countermeasures. Response plans are communicated to the instructor in the form of a recommendation addressed to the Captain of the Port. This exercise has been successfully incorporated into several courses at the Coast Guard Academy, with modifications to accommodate various audiences and learning objectives. All versions include multidisciplinary and collaborative learning techniques, higher-level cognitive thinking, and communication requirements. Data and software packages for this exercise are freely available from federal government websites, making possible its widespread use at other colleges and agencies seeking to provide students with hands-on opportunities to explore scientific concepts in the context of environmental protection. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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