The Role of Wind Waves in Oil Spill Natural Dispersion in the Sea

Resumo

The paper analyzes the available parametrizations for calculating oil dispersion in water. A new parametrization of oil droplet flux into water has been elaborated based on a number of recent experimental studies on wind waves and oil droplet dispersion during wave breaking. The turnover rate (TOR) of the sea surface is proposed to determine the primary flux of oil droplets into water. The parameter of lognormal distribution (median) of oil droplets is calculated versus their sizes in a wide range of oil density, viscosity, interfacial tension, and wind speed.