FATE OF OIL IN A MODEL ECOSYSTEM

With the increasing number of oil spills, research on the determination of immobilization rates of oil at sea has increased. Most investigations have concentrated on such isolated problems as the ability of bacteria to grow on oil, the dissolution of certain fractions of oil and so on. But oil spills at sea are extremely complex events, and the fate of the oil has to be dealt with in a "systems analytical" way. This study with simulated oil spills was performed in an attempt to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the processes involved in the oil's disappearance. A theoretical model describing the fate of oil at sea was set up, using the "Odum energy circuit language" . To evaluate the hazards of oil spills, rates of degradation must be determined. But to do so with any accuracy, a number of dependent and independent factors bearing on the ultimate fate of oil have to be identified. Energy flow models may be an important tool for obtaining a better understanding of these matters.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00447447
• Corporate Authors:

  Royal Swedish Academy of Science

  Universitetsforlaget, P.O. Box 307, Blindern
  Oslo 3,   Norway 
• Authors:
  • Hagstrom, A
• Publication Date: 1977

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: p. 229-231
• Serial:
  • Ambio
  • Volume: 6
  • Issue Number: 4
  • Publisher: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
  • ISSN: 0044-7447
  • EISSN: 1654-7209
  • Serial URL: https://link.springer.com/journal/13280

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Ecosystems; Environmental impacts; Mathematical models; Oil spills; Simulation; Water pollution
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models
• Old TRIS Terms: Oil spill behavior
• Subject Areas: Environment; Marine Transportation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00170118
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Mar 7 1978 12:00AM