Sea ice –ocean-oil spill modeling system (SIOMS) for the nearshore Beaufort and Chukchi Seas: Improvement and parameterization (Phase II)

PI: Jia Wang

Co-PI: Meibing Jin

Research Goal:

Our goal is to establish a stand-alone SeaIce-Ocean-Oil spill Modeling System (SIOMS) in the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea to predict the ice-ocean conditions and possible nearshore oil spill impacts on the the marine environment.

High lights from previous studies:

We have developed the coupled ice oceanIARC-CIOM (Wang et al. 2005). An oil spill simulation has been conducted in open water conditions in Jin and Wang (2004) and an oil spill simulation under sea ice conditions were conducted in Wang and Jin (2003), as shown below:

Figure 13b of Jin and Wang (2004). Simulated oil spill tracks in Prince William Sound, AK, 1996. '+' is releasing position, color bar denotes the days from release.

Figure. Simulated oil spill tracks in Beaufort Sea under sea ice condition. Oil spill tracer is releasing from Prudhoe, contours denotes water depth and color dots in the legend denotes the days from release.
 

Ongoing progrss:

Figure by Meibing Jin, April 2006. Preliminary results in climatology run of the IARC-CIOM (Wang et al. 2005) in the Beaufort and Chukchi Sea. fast ice was forming along the Beaufort Sea coast and an open water lead appears offshore of the fast ice.

References

• Wang J., Q., Liu, M., Jin, M., Ikeda and F. J., Saucier, 2005. A Coupled Ice-Ocean Model in the Pan Arctic and North Atlantic Ocean: Simulations of Seasonal Cycles. Journal of Oceanography, Vol. 61, 213-233.
• Wang, J., M. Jin, D.L. Musgrave, and M. Ikeda, 2004. A Hydrological Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for Freshwater Discharge into the Gulf of Alaska. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109, C07009, doi:10.1029/2002JC001430.
• Jin M., J. Wang, 2004, Interannual variability and sensitivity study of ocean circulation in Prince William Sound, Alaska from 1995-1998. Continental Shelf Research, Vol. 24, Issue 3, 393-411. doi:10.1016/j.csr.2003.10.012.
• Wang, J., M. Jin, 2003. A Nowcast/Forecast Model for the Beaufort Sea Ice-Ocean –Oil Spill System (NFM-BSIOS). Final Report, University of Alaska, MMS/Alaska OCS Region, Anchorage, Dept. of the Interior.