An Online Tool for Predicting the Trajectory of the Spilled Marine Pollutant

Abstract – An online oil spill advisory(OOSA) system was developed for the first time in India, at Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) to serve the coastal community, regulatory authority and oil spill responders. It is achieved by triggering the oil spill trajectory model through web-interface. OOSA receives the inputs from the users in html feeds. Once after the submission of inputs, it automatically triggers the oil spill trajectory model and delivers the drift pattern of the pollutant at regular intervals, without the support from modeling community or officials of INCOIS. It is completely an automated set up. The system comprised the diagnostic mode of General National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Operational Modeling Environment(GNOME) in batch, which is triggered through web interface with the details such as, location, date & time of the spill, quantity, type of the oil spilled. The forecasted wind forcing and the current forcing obtained from our ocean state forecast(OSF)laboratory, were tuned and set in the prescribed format on daily operational basis. The generated trajectory is layered automatically on a webmap, so that the zones that are likely to get affected are known. Trajectory predictions were made online for the oil spill occured at Sundarbans delta during 09.12.2014 to 15.12.2014. The oil slicks were noticed within 1.3 km from the predicted locations. This paper explains the simulation of an oil spill trajectory model for getting the drift pattern of the pollutant at sundarbans delta, through web interface. The method of interpreting the results are also explained. This OOSA system is made available online, so that the users can utilize this during oil spills, mock drills and for preparing the local contingency plans. This system will also guide the oil spill responders, to manage and plan the response activities during the event of an actual or a hypothetical oil spill.

Keywords – GNOME, Modeling, oil spill trajectory, web user interface, validation, online.

INTRODUCTION

Indian coastline is sensitive to oil spills, due to various natural and man -made causes. Indian coast is well known for its marine biodiversity. More than 13,000 species were found from the synthesis [1]. The significance of coral reefs is vital in treatment of human illnesses and in surgical interventions [2].
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