Statistical description and forecast of the coastal and harbor waters as a tool for oil spill detections Enrique Álvarez Fanjul Puertos del Estado Final EU-MOP project workshop

Required Met-Ocean info during an oil spill accident  What sea conditions can I expect in the region in this time of the year? (wind, waves, sea level, currents…)  Which is the actual sea-state condition now and in the following days?  In which direction the oil is drifting?  Which are the sensible coastal areas?  How will the oil chemically evolve?

Which are the tools needed to answer?  Measuring networks (buoys, tide gauges)  Statistical description of the environment  Forecast models of ocean and the atmosphere  Oil spill models  Weathering models

Met-Ocean Info Evaluation, analysis and compilation of information CRISIS MANAGERS How are the tools employed and organized? Meteorological models Ocean models Spill models Data (Real time): Buoys Satellites Radars Climatology

What was the ESEOO project?  ESEOO (Establecimiento Español de Un sistema de Oceanografía Operacional) was a three year project funded by the Spanish Science and Education Ministry.  Final meeting: January 2007  14 Spanish groups and 7 non-Spanish

ESEOO Participants Nacional centers: Puertos del Estado Sasemar Instituto Nacional de Meteorología Instituto Español de Oceanografía INTA ICM/CSIC e IMEDEA Universities: Cantabria, Málaga, Vigo, Cádiz, Polit. de Barcelona, Las Palmas, Granada, Santiago de Compostela, UNED Centers from other countries: NRL (EE.UU.) UK Met Office (U.K.) Le Cedre (Francia) POL (U.K.) Mercator (Francia) MFSTEP (Italia) IST/Hidromod (Portugal) Coastal autonomic centers: Meteogalicia Azti

Some ESEOO results  Development of a regional scale national oil spill and current forecasting system.  Set-up of high resolution numerical models and systems able to forecast currents and spill evolution at local scale.  Development of an data service able to quickly provide information based on analysed historical measurements.  Set-up of a unified access point to real-time oceanographic and meteorological data at Spanish coasts.

Real time data services

Services based on measured data

Statistical information: a example from ESEOO Wave Climate at Galician coast (winter)

ESEOO ocean forecast system OPERATIONAL CURRENT FORECAST AVAILABLE ON THE WEB ( Forcings:  Tide  Wind  Atmospheric pressure  Heat and fresh water fluxes  River outflow

Finisterre 2006 oil spill exercise  Galicia coastal waters  Drifting buoys were released to check the tools and developments  Oil spill and search and rescue operations were simulated  Two ships and one helicopter were employed for the release of the buoys

The tools employed at FINISTERRE 2006  ESEOO regional scale current forecasts  ESEOO coastal models  TESEO oils drift forecast model  Real time data broadcast of results and forecasts by Internet

Forecast and actual trajectory of a drifting buoy Finisterre 2006 results

Conclusions:  Operationally oceanography tools are critical for the treatment of an oil spill crisis (measurements, forecast, statistical knowledge)  Specialized personnel is required for the evaluation, analysis and compilation of information  ESEOO project has contributed to develop and structure OO at Spanish national level. New basic products are now available and integrated with users  The ESEOO group has created “critical mass” for research and a common access point for OO at Spain