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Oil spill response capabilities and technologies for ice-covered Arctic marine waters: A review of recent developments and established practices

Abstract

Renewed political and commercial interest in the resources of the Arctic, the reduction in the extent and thickness of sea ice, and the recent failings that led to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, have prompted industry and its regulatory agencies, governments, local communities and NGOs to look at all aspects of Arctic oil spill countermeasures with fresh eyes. This paper provides an overview of present oil spill response capabilities and technologies for ice-covered waters, as well as under potential future conditions driven by a changing climate. Though not an exhaustive review, we provide the key research results for oil spill response from knowledge accumulated over many decades, including significant review papers that have been prepared as well as results from recent laboratory tests, field programmes and modelling work. The three main areas covered by the review are as follows: oil weathering and modelling; oil detection and monitoring; and oil spill response techniques.
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Category

Academic article

Language

English

Author(s)

  • Jeremy Wilkinson
  • Cynthia Juyne Beegle-Krause
  • Karl-ulrich Evers
  • Nick Hughes
  • Alun Lewis
  • Mark Reed
  • Peter Wadhams

Affiliation

  • SINTEF Ocean / Climate and Environment
  • United Kingdom
  • University of Cambridge
  • British Antarctic Survey
  • Hamburg Ship Model Basin
  • Norwegian Meteorological Institute (MET Norway)
  • Diverse norske bedrifter og organisasjoner

Year

2017

Published in

Ambio

ISSN

0044-7447

Volume

46

Page(s)

423 - 441

View this publication at Norwegian Research Information Repository