Integrated Oil spill detection and forecasting using MOON real time data

Abstract

MOON (Mediterranean Operational Oceanography Network) is an operational distributed system ready to provide quality controlled and timely marine observations (in situ and satellite) and environmental analyses and predictions for management of oil spill accidents. MOON operational systems are based upon the real time functioning of an integrated system composed of the Real Time Observing system, the regional, sub-regional and coastal forecasting systems and a products dissemination system. All products and service of MOON are available at www.moon-oceanforecasting.eu. The observed data, the forecast and analysis products are available in real time to both an internal and external community of users. The latter is composed of governmental and military agencies, environmental protection agencies, research institutes and private companies. MOON community has been able to provide through the integrated satellite monitoring system and through MFS coupled with MEDSLIK Oil spill model timely information on the oil spill detection and evolution forecasting during several emergency cases, such as the Lebanon crisis (2006), the Gibraltar (2007) and Und Adryiatik (2008) accidents. During this oil pollution crisis MOON successfully assisted the decision makers in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean , such as REMPEC and Ministry of Lebanese Environment. The hydrodynamic model output from MFS has been coupled operationally with the 3D oil spill model MEDSLIK. This model is designed to predict the transport, fate and weathering of an oil spill. The MEDSLIK incorporates evaporation, emulsification, viscosity changes, dispersion in water column, adhesion to coast. In this work, the first examples of an oil spill monitoring and forecasting system, from detection to the dissemination results, will be shown and sensitivity experiments to model parameters will be compared with observations from buoy trajectories to real accidents.