Enrique Álvarez Fanjul Puertos del Estado

1. Statistical description and forecast of the coastal and harbor waters as a tool for oil spill detections Enrique Álvarez Fanjul Puertos del Estado Final EU-MOP project workshop

2. Required Met-Ocean info during an oil spill accident • What sea conditions can I expect in the region in this time of the year? (wind, waves, sea level, currents…) • Which is the actual sea-state condition now and in the following days? • In which direction the oil is drifting? • Which are the sensible coastal areas? • How will the oil chemically evolve?

3. Which are the tools needed to answer? • Measuring networks (buoys, tide gauges) • Statistical description of the environment • Forecast models of ocean and the atmosphere • Oil spill models • Weathering models

4. How are the tools employed and organized? Met-Ocean Info Meteorological models • Data (Real time): • Buoys • Satellites • Radars Ocean models Climatology Spill models Evaluation, analysis and compilation of information CRISIS MANAGERS

5. What was the ESEOO project? • ESEOO (Establecimiento Español de Un sistema de Oceanografía Operacional) was a three year project funded by the Spanish Science and Education Ministry. • Final meeting: January 2007 • 14 Spanish groups and 7 non-Spanish

6. Nacional centers: • Puertos del Estado • Sasemar • Instituto Nacional de Meteorología • Instituto Español de Oceanografía • INTA • ICM/CSIC e IMEDEA • Universities: • Cantabria, Málaga, Vigo, Cádiz, • Polit. de Barcelona, Las Palmas, • Granada, Santiago de Compostela, • UNED • Centers from other countries: • NRL (EE.UU.) • UK Met Office (U.K.) • Le Cedre (Francia) • POL (U.K.) • Mercator (Francia) • MFSTEP (Italia) • IST/Hidromod (Portugal) ESEOO Participants • Coastal autonomic centers: • Meteogalicia • Azti

7. Some ESEOO results • Development of a regional scale national oil spill and current forecasting system. • Set-up of high resolution numerical models and systems able to forecast currents and spill evolution at local scale. • Development of an data service able to quickly provide information based on analysed historical measurements. • Set-up of a unified access point to real-time oceanographic and meteorological data at Spanish coasts.

8. Real time data services

9. Services based on measured data

10. Statistical information: a example from ESEOO Wave Climate at Galician coast (winter)

11. ESEOO ocean forecast system OPERATIONAL CURRENT FORECAST AVAILABLE ON THE WEB (www.eseoo.org) Forcings: • Tide • Wind • Atmospheric pressure • Heat and fresh water fluxes • River outflow

12. Finisterre 2006 oil spill exercise • Galicia coastal waters - 2006 • Drifting buoys were released to check the tools and developments • Oil spill and search and rescue operations were simulated • Two ships and one helicopter were employed for the release of the buoys

13. The tools employed at FINISTERRE 2006 • ESEOO regional scale current forecasts • ESEOO coastal models • TESEO oils drift forecast model • Real time data broadcast of results and forecasts by Internet

14. Finisterre 2006 results Forecast and actual trajectory of a drifting buoy

15. Conclusions: • Operationally oceanography tools are critical for the treatment of an oil spill crisis (measurements, forecast, statistical knowledge) • Specialized personnel is required for the evaluation, analysis and compilation of information • ESEOO project has contributed to develop and structure OO at Spanish national level. New basic products are now available and integrated with users • The ESEOO group has created “critical mass” for research and a common access point for OO at Spain