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Spillage Detection

Even though the study, analysis and prediction of sea and ocean currents and swells is a field in which work has been realized for many years, the same level of development as in the field of meteorological prediction has not yet been achieved.

This is due to three fundamental issues:

  • Oceanography requires meteorological predictions in order to realize acceptable predictions.
  • While meteorology has found a clear and known market (we can daily see and read weather forecasts) oceanography has not been able to find its position in the markets.
  • Oceanography needs control elements (buoys) for result validation which are more sophisticated and have higher costs than those used in meteorology.

Nevertheless, with the latest advances in computer’s calculation possibilities and new technologies applied to oceanography, predictions of currents and swell can be obtained with reliability compared with the obtained in meteorology.

All of this has its application in the prediction of the evolution of spillages of different substances to the marine environment. This is so due to the fact that the modelling or prediction of the performance of spillages requires a previous knowledge of the physical-chemical performance of the spilled element in the sea and a correct prediction of the currents in the area to be analyzed, information of which we now dispose.

One of the main problems of the Prestige Crisis, besides the proper accident, was the lack of a tool able to give answer to the principal question: What should be done with an oil tanker adrift?

In case of having had this Current Prediction System available together with the Spillage Evolution Model, by simply introducing the vessel’s cargo and its position, we would have obtained the crude oil’s evolution over several days. From the analysis of several hypotheses for the spillage location, we could have obtained the most efficient response for minimizing the effects of .the vessel’s rupture

In case of having all of the Spanish coastline introduced in the System, the Government would be able to analyze, for example, the possible areas affected by an oil slick produced by all of the oil tankers that at each moment are navigating in the proximities of Spain’s coastlines.

By the same means, navigation of potentially dangerous ships can be controlled on the basis of the ocean current predictions in order to avoid that accidental tanker spillage could affect areas of special biological or economic interest.

This System would also allow a better management of city’s submarine emissaries, location of industrial areas, location of fish farms, of the risks for navigation of small vessels…

In charge of the Project:

Mr. F. Hermosilla - Development and Engineering Area Consultant Engineer - Grupo IKC

Mr. Agustín Sánchez-Arcilla Conejo – Maritime Engineering Professor U.P.C. and Director of Maritime Engineering Laboratory.

Mr. Manolo Espino Infantes - Lecturer of the Department of Maritime Engineering, U.P.C