Community | July 06, 2010 | 42 comments

Computer simulations show oil reaching up the Atlantic coastline and toward Europe

source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103408.htm

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DeliaTheArtist

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103408.htm

"The possible spread of the oil spill from the Deepwater Horizon rig over the course of one year was studied in a series of computer simulations by a team of researchers from the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. The simulations suggest that the coastlines near the Carolinas, Georgia, and Northern Florida could see the effects of the oil spill as early as October 2010, while the main branch of the subtropical gyre is likely to transport the oil film towards Europe, although strongly diluted.

Eight million buoyant particles were released continuously from April 20 to September 17, 2010, at the location of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The release occurred in ocean flow data from simulations conducted with the high-resolution Ocean General Circulation Model for the Earth Simulator (OFES).

"The paths of the particles were calculated in 8 typical OFES years over 360 days from the beginning of the spill," says Fabian Schloesser, a PhD student from the Department of Oceanography in SOEST, who worked on these simulations with Axel Timmermann and Oliver Elison Timm from the International Pacific Research Center, also in SOEST. "From these 8 typical years, 5 were selected to create an animation for which the calculated extent of the spill best matches current observational estimates."

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100706103408.htm
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42 comments // Computer simulations show oil reaching up the Atlantic coastline and toward Europe

  • ReverandG
  • versasrev
  • Armageddon_Now
  • CalgarC
  • Psymoniac
  • CalgarC
  • EthicalVegan
  • Andrew_Douglas
  • Jared_Hildebrandt
    • +5
      Jared_Hildebrandt  

    • I think Buddha has a great idea about the gap between Florida and Cuba. Looking at a map, it looks like about 300 miles from Naples to Havana. The gap from Cancun to Cuba also is "narrow", about 200 miles. The plans to protect coasts need to be accelerated, and I think we should try to focus at these points to prevent much concentrated crude from escaping into the Atlantic. With the current response being painfully slow, my guess is nothing will happen and this will keep getting worse.

    • 2 years ago
  • NiceN
    • +10
      NiceN  

    • I hope the oil floats all the way to the British Petrolium office and crawls up the executives greedy arses.

    • 2 years ago
  • Chad_Pearce
  • iloveme_tatertot
    • 0
      iloveme_tatertot  
    • Chad_Pearce:

      I know! I talked to some folks who have lived here (Brevard County) all their lives and they swear up and down that tarballs are no new thing. I have practically lived on these beaches, surfing, swimming etc, and have never seen anything that even remotely resembles tar balls.Everytime I go to the beach I bring a trash bag and comb for garbage for about an hour of my visit, I think I would have noticed something like this.

    • 2 years ago
  • EthicalVegan
  • onemalefla
  • iloveme_tatertot
    • 0
      iloveme_tatertot  
    • onemalefla:

      My point exactly. I Doubt Central Florida News 13 is all that reputible. The spend more time covering Casey Anthony than anything else. Did you notice that it took them a grand totall of 4 weeks to dedicate a section of their website to the oil spill? It took them all of 4 days with the Casey Anthony murder. I have watched (Brain Melting) local news for the last few evenings and have not heard a damn word about any of this, no wonder people are oblivious.

    • 2 years ago
  • suzane
  • Buddha2112
  • DeliaTheArtist
  • TasteHi
  • Buddha2112
    • +3
      Buddha2112  

    • Looking back at the pattern, it looks like the tip of Florida is a KEY choke point... (pun intended).

      If we can manage to barricade that point, we thwart an even huger disaster. Just an idea though.

    • 2 years ago
  • EthicalVegan
  • onemalefla
  • Buddha2112
    • +2
      Buddha2112  
    • onemalefla:

      I'm not saying flood Florida with oil, I'm saying use that point to cordon off the gulf, since it's a natural choke point according to the model, while protecting the inlets. You can do both ya know. If you'd rather it destroy the eastern coast too, i don't see how that's any better. Got any ideas yourself?

    • 2 years ago
  • Gravity_Man
  • Buddha2112
    • 0
      Buddha2112  
    • Gravity_Man:

      lmao

      "We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in [Florida],
      we shall fight on the seas and oceans,
      we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island[s], whatever the cost may be,
      we shall fight on the beaches,
      we shall fight on the landing grounds,
      we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
      we shall fight in the hills;
      we shall never surrender, and even if, which I do not for a moment believe, this Island or a large part of it were subjugated and starving, then our Empire beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British [Petroleum], would carry on the struggle, until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old."

      Some minor editing....

    • 2 years ago
  • onemalefla
  • Buddha2112
    • 0
      Buddha2112  
    • onemalefla:

      Alright, so stopping the flow is great, what if they can't manage to do that in time (highly likely). If it pools it can be collected and removed easier than if its spread out. It's going to leach into the fresh water anyway, I don't see how letting it out into the Atlantic is a better idea. Florida is kinda fucked either way, might as well make it the stopping point and at least save the Eastern coast of Florida. There's really not too many choices. It's a sacrifice, but it will keep it from becoming and even bigger problem. Cordoning off the Gulf can help direct recovery efforts and save the rest of the ocean. It sucks, but Florida is fucked as is, crying and feeling butthurt about a plan and letting it get worse and affect more of the state and others doesn't help.

      I hail from the Shire, by the way, it's a great state, and it sucks to hear the South getting so raped, but it needs to stop somewhere, might as well take advantage of the natural boundaries.

    • 2 years ago
  • Gravity_Man
  • Buddha2112
  • onemalefla
  • Buddha2112
    • 0
      Buddha2112  
    • onemalefla:

      Not my fight, no, but i made a decent suggestion. How can i respect you if all you do is cry about the facts and make suggestions that would worsen the situation? Why not try and do something about it?

    • 2 years ago
  • onemalefla
  • Incredulous
  • Buddha2112
    • 0
      Buddha2112  
    • onemalefla:

      Boy you're angry, son. Yeah, I understand STOP THE FLOW, but if that doesn't work, what's your back up plan? Apparently you have none.

      You shouldn't get so mad, it's bad for your health. Your letting your anger blind you and think I was attacking your state. My idea does permit controlled destruction, but it's going to happen anyway, so take advantage of the situation, as opposed to uncontrolled outflow into an even bigger ecosystem.

      It's sad that the reefs will most likely die, whether you root and toot about it or not. I didn't say you were a cry baby, nor that you were buttraped. I said you were acting butthurt over your state being buttraped. Your plan is great: go stop the leak! brilliant! I wonder why no one's thought of that yet.

      But if that fails, your whole state is screwed, rather than half. Do you not understand that? You'd sacrifice east and west coast just in the hopes that you can take your grandson to a dead reef? Good idea mate. Doesn't make sense at all.

    • 2 years ago
  • onemalefla
  • Buddha2112
  • onemalefla
  • Buddha2112
    • 0
      Buddha2112  
    • onemalefla:

      Yep, it's gonna require team effort. Maybe if the US pulls its head out of its ass, they could actually work with Cuba. Like I said before, the whole area is damned either way, so you might as well try and stop it at the thinnest point and prevent more damage than necessary.

    • 2 years ago
  • DefKid
  • Buddha2112
    • 0
      Buddha2112  

    • Not to gloat about the disaster, but at least it stays away from New England [no its not a state, i feel sad that i need to point that out sometimes], and looks like it heads right to England. It really belongs in BP's office, but that sure as hell isn't going to happen.

      I just can't imagine what this will do to wildlife along the east coast [obviously similar to the Gulf, but changes in ocean temps will do stuff we've yet to witness]. I sincerely hope there's a way for the sea life to escape or migrate, or even a way to sense it coming at least. It's going to fuck up a lot of migration patterns, and that's just not cool for anyone. The ocean current is a delicate balance, and plays a huge role in mating... This is not good at all...

    • 2 years ago
  • TasteHi
    • +1
      TasteHi  
    • Buddha2112:

      hey there's a thought I wonder if there's some sort of sonic barrier they could place on the outskirts just to deflect any marine life from entering that zone....it's funny to me how there's a million terrible consequences to upsetting the earths balance like melting snow caps but Oprah won't bother with a show about it unless some cute animal is directly suffering the consequences.....we're just so jaded it's hopeless.

    • 2 years ago
  • EthicalVegan

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