Double-plume Lagrangian particle tracking model and its application in deep water oil spill

Abstract

Due to the density stratification of sea water, the dispersed oil droplets and gas bubbles with small diameters, as well as the dissolved components, may remain in some specific depths. The double-plume Lagrangian particle tracking model for bubbly plumes in vertical density stratified environments is improved and applied to predict the underwater pollutants in a blowout. This model considers the different properties and dissolution processes of components in crude oil and focuses on their behavior and stratification differences in the plume. The crude oil components are divided into several groups and the dissolution of oil and gas is also considered. The model is applied to simulate the “Deepwater Horizon” oil spill accident in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. The results show several enrichment layers of oil and gas at different depth and the differences in concentration between components, which corresponds to the distribution of petroleum pollutants in the in-situ observation.