DESCRIPTION AND APPLICATION OF THE OPERATIONAL OIL SPILL FORECAST SYSTEM TESEO
ABSTRACT In the framework of the ESEOO Project (Spanish Operational Oceanography System) a complete set of models has been developed to simulate oil spills transport and fate processes. These models have been integrated in a user friendly operational system called TESEO. The main objective of the TESEO system is to integrate the meteorological and oceanographic data as well as the oil properties data required by the oil spill model to provide the evolution of contaminating spills at a regional scale. The system is linked with the operational winds and currents forecast system and, consequently, is able to provide useful information to decision-makers in a crisis situation. The performance of TESEO system has been successfully tested during four operational oil spills exercises organized by the Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Agency (SASEMAR) with the collaboration of the ESEOO Group. In these exercises, the TESEO system was used to provide forecast spill trajectories and fate processes to decision-makers in real time. Detailed information regarding the operational requirements of the system and its utilization during the Finisterre-2006 exercise is presented in this paper. The Finisterre-2006 exercise, as well as the other operational exercises performed, shows the TESEO system'S capability as a useful tool in an oil spill response.