bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Principles of Effective Post-spill Environmental Monitoring and their Application to Preparedness Assessment
Authors: Kirby Mark F. , Gioia Rosalinda , Law Robin J. 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the fate and effects of spilled oil or chemicals in the marine environment is essential if the scientific and response communities are to develop best practices for the future. The timely and successful deployment of survey specialists, sampling strategy and scientific techniques to monitor the environmental consequences of an incident can be a complex challenge and, in the same way as for spill response and clean-up, requires effective planning and coordination. However, the delivery of the necessary guidance, skilled personnel and coordinated management are often not pre-identified, are rarely in the same organisation and the levels of preparedness to undertake complex monitoring programmes are often low. This paper identifies the 8 principles of effective post-spill monitoring programmes as; Scientific Guidance, Skills & Knowledge, Equipment, Funding, Responsibility & Management, Integration & Coordination, Support & Buy-in and Practice. Drawing on experience from the Premiam (Pollution Response in Emergencies: Marine Impact Assessment and Monitoring; www.cefas.defra.gov.uk/premiam) programme in the United Kingdom these principles are described and the approaches taken and challenges faced in the UK to improve post-spill monitoring practices are outlined.This paper goes on to describe how these principles can be used as the basis for the assessment of monitoring preparedness through the generation of a Monitoring Preparedness Assessment Score (MPAS). This assessment approach can be used by local, regional or national authorities to establish the level of environmental monitoring and impact assessment preparedness for incidents in their areas and to highlight areas for improvement. In addition it is of use to responders, policy makers, environmental scientists and planners as a tool through which to assess preparedness and capability for specific scenarios. The use of the approach is demonstrated through the assessment of previous incidents and potential future scenarios.
TURBYLEC: DEVELOPMENT AND EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION OF AN INNOVATIVE CENTRIFUGAL OIL – WATER SEPARATOR
Authors: Maj G. , Laurent M. , Mastrangeli M. , Lecoffre Y. 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
An innovative oil/water separator (TURBYLEC) has been developed in the frame of the HOVERSPILLTM European project (Fast Air Cushion platform for Oil Spill Remediation), partly funded by the European Commission's 7th Framework Program.
Conventional separation solutions are not appropriate to the remediation scenarios targeted by the HOVERSPILLTM project, mainly because low weight and compactness are absolutely required for transportation on a hovercraft. Namely, high separation efficiency, imposed to satisfy environmental legislation for water release, is particularly difficult to achieve with a compact separator when skimmed flow rate, oil content and density contrast are submitted to large variations.
This paper describes the development of a customized patented centrifuge separator devoted to the specific needs of the HOVERSPILLTM project. Conceptual studies, prototype manufacturing and experimental validation are described.
The TURBYLEC prototype tested at CEDRE's facilities has a bulk (size and weight) compatible with its integration on the HOVERSPILLTM platform. Tests results show that TURBYLEC matches with expected use (i.e. downstream of a non-selective skimmer). In this configuration, TURBYLEC separator shows very good oil / water separation performances for inlet oil contents up to 25%. In this range of operating conditions its cut diameter has been evaluated to 60 μm. In order to achieve the same separation performances as with TURBYLEC, which weighs only 70 kg (with liquids), it would be necessary to install an 8 m3 gravity separator.
TURBYLEC separator has been developed for a very specific duty (i.e. for integration on an Hovercraft for Oil Spill remediation). Nevertheless, its proven performances render it particularly attractive, as a standalone system, for many other specific tasks in the field of oil spill remediation. It could also interest various other water treatment applications.
Dispersion of High Viscosity Oils
Authors: Ghurye Ganesh L. , Nedwed Tim J. , Tidwell Amy C. , Canevari Gerard P. 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
This study evaluated the effectiveness of three dispersants in simulated seawater on five different fuel oils (both intermediate fuel oils (IFOs) and heavy fuel oils (HFOs)) with viscosities ranging from 1,079 to 6,615 cSt and densities ranging from 0.995 to 0.998 g/cc. The three dispersants were COREXIT® 9500 dispersant, a dispersant under development by ExxonMobil – ED-6™ gel dispersant, and FINASOL™ OSR 52 dispersant. Testing was done at two dispersant-to-oil ratios (DOR) – 1:20 and 1:10.
All three dispersants were effective (70%+ dispersant effectiveness (DE)) for fuel oils with a viscosity less than 2,000 cSt - IFOs 180 and 380. The dispersants were less effective (16 to 58% DE) for the higher viscosity oils (ranging in viscosity from 4,258 to 6,615 cSt). Increasing the amount of dispersant from a DOR of 1:20 to 1:10 significantly improved DE. For example, the DE of the two HFOs studied increased from less than 42% to greater than 56% using COREXIT 9500™ dispersant.
The results of our bench-scale study indicate that dispersants can disperse heavy fuel oils and, therefore, could be a response option for spills of these products in a marine environment.
An Offshore Regulator's Perspective: Maintaining Focus on Managing Spill Risk
Authors: Grebe Cameron , Smith Matthew , Ball David 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
Lest we forget – three years after Macondo the focus on preparing for major oil spills and ensuring offshore petroleum companies have arrangements in place that match the specific risks of the activity is as critical as ever. The Australian regulator is resolved to continually challenge risk assessments and require companies to go beyond design events in order to meet their commitments for a world-class preparedness and response capability.
Established to independently administer an objective-based regulatory regime for the offshore petroleum industry in Australian Commonwealth waters, the National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Management Authority seeks to hold industry to account for its level of preparedness for a major incident. Challenged by remote and vulnerable areas, the Australian oil and gas industry has responded admirably, if not collectively.
The competitive nature of the industry, the necessary focus on prevention, emerging technologies and more difficult targets have influenced the level of enthusiasm for continually improving oil spill preparedness arrangements. As the regulator of offshore environmental management our focus is to ensure that as time progresses, and prevention measures prove themselves reliable, that these factors do not impede further progress in preparing for mitigating and remediating major oil spills.
There are paradoxical challenges for industry preparedness. No single company can or should hold the full range of resources for a preventable incident. Yet society expects exactly this standard from those developing Australia's riches. The radical centre of this paradox is where insightful and lasting solutions can and must be found - weak compromises such as showing preparedness for your last event will often fail when put to the test. Companies and Governments alike must maintain situational awareness of their spill risks and evaluate the circumstances they find themselves in and implement measures to manage this risk.
A regulator's role is only effective if they are challenging companies and asking questions: Have you done enough to understand and manage the risks? Are you implementing what is required? The regulator in Australia has implemented a way of regulating that, in part, aims to keep industry's focus on their next event and not their last. Its mechanism for doing so is to establish an improvement culture of open and transparent risk assessments that are subject to challenge against legislated risk acceptance criteria. This paper outlines the current challenges of an independent regulator and identifies the next steps in challenging industry to do more.
Advancing Oil Spill Response in Arctic Conditions: The Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology - Joint Industry Programme
Authors: Mullin Joseph V. 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
The oil and gas industry has made significant advances in being able to detect, contain and clean up spills in arctic environments. To further build on existing research and improve the technologies and methodologies for arctic oil spill response, nine oil and gas companies (BP, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, Eni, ExxonMobil, North Caspian Operating Company, Shell, Statoil, and Total) established the Arctic Oil Spill Response Technology Joint Industry Programme (JIP). The goal of the JIP is to advance arctic oil spill response strategies and equipment as well as to increase understanding of potential impacts of oil on the arctic marine environment. Officially launched in January 2012 at the Arctic Frontiers Conference in Tromsø, Norway, the JIP has six technical working groups (TWG) each focusing on a different key area of oil spill response: dispersants; environmental effects; trajectory modeling; remote sensing; mechanical recovery and in-situ burning (ISB). There is also a field research TWG to pursue opportunities for field releases for validation of response technologies and strategies. Each TWG is led by recognized subject matter experts with years of experience in oil spill response research and operations. This JIP is bringing together the world's foremost experts on oil spill response research, development, and operations from across industry, academia, and independent research centres. Research integrity will be ensured through technical peer review and public dissemination of results. This paper describes the scope and current progress of this Joint Industry Program (JIP).
Lessons Learnt: Oiled Wildlife Response in Asia
Authors: Ling Ho Yei 
Published: August 2014

ABSTRACT
In Asia, the concept of wildlife response is a novel idea. Unlike in Europe where there is various wildlife groups actively carrying out the conservation of wildlife, in Asia, wildlife conservation is not viewed with a high priority. Only a handful of wildlife organizations exist. Many of these have not had the opportunity to respond to an oiled wildlife incident. Due to the limited availability of regional resources in Asia to respond to wildlife impacted by oil, international assistance might be required. Since the closest available resources are located in the Oceania region, a significant delay is expected before a substantial wildlife response could be mobilized.
Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) collaborates with Sea Alarm Foundation, a wildlife non-governmental organization, to address issues related to oiled wildlife response. OSRL has stockpiles of wildlife response equipment in Southampton, Bahrain, Fort Lauderdale and Singapore, which can be mobilised in the event of an incident. Each stockpile consists of a combination of specialised scientific and basic equipment. However as transportation requires time, it could require several days for some equipment to arrive in remote locations.
In addition since Asia has a limited number of personnel who are trained to use this equipment, personnel will also have to be moved. One major concern is to manage the time of arrival of equipment and trained wildlife responders in-country, ensuring that they arrive at site together thus facilitating an effective and efficient response.
This paper will highlight the lessons learnt from various responses, which comprises the element of wildlife response, that OSRL was actively involved in and how these lessons have been used to enhance oiled wildlife response capability in OSRL to better serve Asia.
The role of small‐scale ion injections in the buildup of Earth's ring current pressure: Van Allen Probes observations of the 17 March 2013 storm
Authors: Gkioulidou Matina , Ukhorskiy A. Y. , Mitchell D. G. , Sotirelis T. , Mauk B. H. , Lanzerotti L. J. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractEnergetic particle transport into the inner magnetosphere during geomagnetic storms is responsible for significant plasma pressure enhancement, which is the driver of large‐scale currents that control the global electrodynamics within the magnetosphere‐ionosphere system. Therefore, understanding the transport of plasma from the tail deep into the near‐Earth magnetosphere, as well as the energization processes associated with this transport, is essential for a comprehensive knowledge of the near‐Earth space environment. During the main phase of a geomagnetic storm on 17 March 2013 (minimum Dst ~ −137 nT), the Radiation Belt Storm Probes Ion Composition Experiment (RBSPICE) instrument on the Van Allen Probes observed frequent, small‐scale proton injections deep into the inner nightside magnetosphere in the region L ~ 4 – 6. Although isolated injections have been previously reported inside geosynchronous orbit, the large number of small‐scale injections observed in this event suggests that, during geomagnetic storms injections provide a robust mechanism for transporting energetic ions deep into the inner magnetosphere. In order to understand the role that these injections play in the ring current dynamics, we determine the following properties for each injection: (i) associated pressure enhancement, (ii) the time duration of this enhancement, and (iii) the lowest and highest energy channels exhibiting a sharp increase in their intensities. Based on these properties, we estimate the effect of these small‐scale injections on the pressure buildup during the storm. We find that this mode of transport could make a substantial contribution to the total energy gain in the storm time inner magnetosphere.
Contribution from different current systems to SYM and ASY midlatitude indices
Authors: Dubyagin S. , Ganushkina N. , Kubyshkina M. , Liemohn M. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractUsing empirical magnetospheric models, we study the relative contribution from different current systems to the SYM and ASY midlatitude indices. It was found that the models can reproduce ground‐based midlatitude indices with correlation coefficients between the model and real indices being ∼0.8–0.9 for SYM‐H and ∼0.6–0.8 and ∼0.5–0.7 for ASY‐H and ASY‐D, respectively. The good agreement between the indices computed using magnetospheric models and real ones indicates that purely ionospheric current systems, on average, give modest contribution to these indices. The superposed epoch analysis of the indices computed using the models shows that, nominally, the cross‐tail current gives the dominant contribution to SYM‐H index during the main phase. However, it should be remembered that the model region 2, partial ring current, and cross‐tail current systems are not spatially demarcated (the systems are overlapped in the vicinity of geostationary orbit). For this reason, this result should be taken with a precaution. The relative contribution from symmetric ring current to SYM‐H starts to increase a bit prior or just after SYM‐H minimum and attains its maximum during recovery phase. The ASY‐H and ASY‐D indices are controlled by interplay between three current systems which close via the ionosphere. The region 1 FAC gives the largest contribution to ASY‐H and ASY‐D indices during the main phase, though, region 2 FAC and partial ring current contributions are also prominent. In addition, we discuss the application of these results to resolving the long‐debated inconsistencies of the substorm‐controlled geomagnetic storm scenario.
Effect of ray and speed perturbations on ionospheric tomography by over‐the‐horizon radar: A new method
Authors: Roy Corinna , Occhipinti Giovanni , Boschi Lapo , Molinié Jean‐Philippe , Wieczorek Mark 
Published: August 2014

AbstractMost recent methods in ionospheric tomography are based on the inversion of the total electron content measured by ground‐based GPS receivers. As a consequence of the high frequency of the GPS signal and the absence of horizontal raypaths, the electron density structure is mainly reconstructed in the F2 region (300 km), where the ionosphere reaches the maximum of ionization, and is not sensitive to the lower ionospheric structure. We propose here a new tomographic method of the lower ionosphere, based on the full inversion of over‐the‐horizon (OTH) radar data. Previous studies using OTH radar for ionospheric tomography inverted only the leading edge echo curve of backscatter ionograms. The major advantage of our methodology is taking into account, numerically and jointly, the effect that the electron density perturbations induce not only in the speed of electromagnetic waves but also on the raypath geometry. This last point is extremely critical for OTH radar inversions as the emitted signal propagates through the ionosphere between a fixed starting point (the radar) and an unknown end point on the Earth surface where the signal is backscattered. We detail our ionospheric tomography method with the aid of benchmark tests. Having proved the necessity to take into account both effects simultaneously, we apply our method to real data. This is the first time that the effect of the raypath deflection has been quantified and that the ionospheric plasma density has been estimated over the entirety of Europe with an OTH radar.
Electron pitch angle/energy distribution in the magnetotail
Authors: Artemyev A. V. , Walsh A. P. , Petrukovich A. A. , Baumjohann W. , Nakamura R. , Fazakerley A. N. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIn this paper we utilize 9 years of Cluster observations in the Earth's magnetotail to investigate electron pitch angle/energy distributions. We mainly concentrate on the population of anisotropic electrons with a dominance of the parallel phase space density and energies larger than 100 eV. The energy distribution of this population strongly varies with the downtail distance (the near‐Earth x>−12RE and the tail x∈[−20,−12]RE) and along the dawn‐dusk direction (the midnight |y|<10RE and the flanks |y|>10RE). In the tail‐midnight domain the electron anisotropic population is present at all energy ranges up to 20 keV, while at the tail‐flank domain only the energy range below several keV is filled by this population. In the near‐Earth domain the only anisotropic electrons are cold, with energies less than 1 keV. We investigate the dependence of the energy distribution of the anisotropic electron population on the system parameters for the midnight‐tail domain where the main statistics is collected. The increase of the Bz GSM component of the magnetic field corresponds to an increasing energy range filled by anisotropic electrons. The increase of the electron temperature anisotropy is provided by the enhancement of the anisotropic population at all energies up to 20 keV. There is no distinct dependence of the electron anisotropic population on the plasma flow velocity. The increase of the electron temperature corresponds to shifting of the electron anisotropic population toward higher energies. We propose a simple model of the pitch angle/energy distribution of this electron population and discuss the origin of anisotropic electrons in the magnetotail.
Representation of sharp rifts and faults mechanics in modeling ice shelf flow dynamics: Application to Brunt/Stancomb‐Wills Ice Shelf, Antarctica
Authors: Larour E. , Khazendar A. , Borstad C. P. , Seroussi H. , Morlighem M. , Rignot E. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractIce shelves play a major role in buttressing ice sheet flow into the ocean, hence the importance of accurate numerical modeling of their stress regime. Commonly used ice flow models assume a continuous medium and are therefore complicated by the presence of rupture features (crevasses, rifts, and faults) that significantly affect the overall flow patterns. Here we apply contact mechanics and penalty methods to develop a new ice shelf flow model that captures the impact of rifts and faults on the rheology and stress distribution of ice shelves. The model achieves a best fit solution to satellite observations of ice shelf velocities to infer the following: (1) a spatial distribution of contact and friction points along detected faults and rifts, (2) a more realistic spatial pattern of ice shelf rheology, and (3) a better representation of the stress balance in the immediate vicinity of faults and rifts. Thus, applying the model to the Brunt/Stancomb‐Wills Ice Shelf, Antarctica, we quantify the state of friction inside faults and the opening rates of rifts and obtain an ice shelf rheology that remains relatively constant everywhere else on the ice shelf. We further demonstrate that better stress representation has widespread application in examining aspects affecting ice shelf structure and dynamics including the extent of ice mélange in rifts and the change in fracture configurations. All are major applications for better insight into the important question of ice shelf stability.
Optimizing the scale of markets for water quality trading
Authors: Doyle Martin W. , Patterson Lauren A. , Chen Yanyou , Schnier Kurt E. , Yates Andrew J. 
Published: August 2014

AbstractApplying market approaches to environmental regulations requires establishing a spatial scale for trading. Spatially large markets usually increase opportunities for abatement cost savings but increase the potential for pollution damages (hot spots), vice versa for spatially small markets. We develop a coupled hydrologic‐economic modeling approach for application to point source emissions trading by a large number of sources and apply this approach to the wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) within the watershed of the second largest estuary in the U.S. We consider two different administrative structures that govern the trade of emission permits: one‐for‐one trading (the number of permits required for each unit of emission is the same for every WWTP) and trading ratios (the number of permits required for each unit of emissions varies across WWTP). Results show that water quality regulators should allow trading to occur at the river basin scale as an appropriate first‐step policy, as is being done in a limited number of cases via compliance associations. Larger spatial scales may be needed under conditions of increased abatement costs. The optimal scale of the market is generally the same regardless of whether one‐for‐one trading or trading ratios are employed.