MEASUREMENT OF EVAPORATION RATES FROM OIL SLICKS ON THE OPEN SEA

A gas chromatographic method of analysis, applicable for all types of petroleum products, has been developed to measure the time dependent extent of evaporation from an oil slick on the open sea. Laboratory calibration tests show the method to have an uncertainty in evaporative weight loss of less than 1 percent. The method has been tested in the Santa Barbara Channel using oil from natural seeps at Coal Oil Point. Under sea state four conditions, this oil lost most of its volatile components in one to two hours. The resulting oil slick residue became sufficiently dense that it could easily enter the water column where it would be subjected to subsurface transport mechanisms. Sea surface roughness was observed to have a significant effect on the rate of evaporation. (Author)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Pub. in Proceedings of Conference on Prevention and Control of Oil Spills, Washington, D.C. 13-15 Mar 73, p475-484.
• Corporate Authors:

  University of California, Santa Barbara

  Department of Chemical and Nuclear Engineering
  Santa Barbara, CA  United States 
• Authors:
  • Sivadier, H O
  • Mikolaj, P G
• Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

• Pagination: 11 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Chromatography; Evaporation; Gas chromatography; Oil spills; Oils; Roughness; Seepage; Transport properties (Physics); Velocity; Volatility; Water pollution; Water quality management; Wind
• Identifier Terms: National Sea Grant Program; U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transport properties
• Geographic Terms: California; Santa Barbara Channel
• Old TRIS Terms: Chromatographic analysis; Oil slicks; Oil spill behavior; Oil spreading process; Sea grant program; Sea states; Wind velocity
• Subject Areas: Environment; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00050844
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Contract Numbers: NOAA-2-35208
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 31 1974 12:00AM