Field Study and Visual Simulation of Crude Oil Spill Pattern on a South China Marine Sand Beach

Abstract

The observation and evaluation of oil spills are the foundation and core of coastal habitat management plans. Sound cleanup decisions depend on accurate information regarding the types of habitats the oil affects and the degree and location of oiling. In this study, an archetypical dissipative sandy beach near the south of China was analyzed for grain sizes and physical characteristics. An oil spill experiment was then constructed in tanks to show the different contaminated patterns on the sands. Finally, computer-aided parameterized simulation technology was used to reconstruct the pattern through high-resolution visualization to reveal the hidden information under different spill patterns. Due to their realism and apparent authenticity, the findings may meet the demands of decision-makers for tools to communicate scientific results more effectively. In addition, this type of information could help understand intricate relationships between intertidal habitats and spill-oil fate and is pertinent to the public tasked with contingency planning and responding to future incidents.

Keywords: sand beach, virtual simulation, oil spill pattern, particle components, degradation, side effect of dispersant