AN OIL SPILL MODEL SYSTEM FOR ARCTIC WATERS
ABSTRACT An Arctic coastal sea model system, consisting of submodels for weather, hydrodynamics, waves, suspended sediment, ice cover, oil spill trajectory and fates, and ecosystem dynamics is presented. The structure and operation of each sub-model and linkages among the various model components are briefly described. The weather, hydrodynamic, ice, and oil spill fates components of the model system are applied to predict hydrodynamics and oil spill trajectories from selected release points in the Bering Sea. Trajectory data are analyzed to describe the percent of trajectories affecting land and the direction, length, and duration distribution of trajectories. A detailed sensitivity study is performed to determine the role of the various mean current components and wind drift effects in describing spill trajectories. Model predictions highlight the importance of accurately representing the environmental data used as input to the model.