Oil Pollution at Sea

Oil consists of organic compounds, mostly
hydrocarbons. Each type of crude oil and refined
product has distinct physical and chemical
properties depending on its number of hydrocarbons.
These properties affect the way oil will spread and
break down and the hazard it may pose to marine and
human life. Of major concern are the impacts on
marine life, and especially coastal areas.
This book is divided into two parts. In the first
part the environmental impact and the degradation
processes are described. In the second part a
mathematical model for the spreading mechanism will
be used to simulate two oil spill accidents, one
small close to a harbour and the other one emulating
a large oil spill at sea. The results give an idea
of how the oil slick forms and the probable movement
of the spilled oil. In this way the model
calculations can be used to find the most suitable
responses to an oil spill accident.