Model to locate, forecast sunken oil following spills developed

Washington, May 27 (ANI): Researchers at the University of Miami (UM) have unveiled a computer model that can locate and forecast sunken oil following spills.

James Englehardt, UM professor of environmental engineering in the College of Engineering and team leader for the project, said: "Sunken oil is difficult to 'see' because sensing techniques show only a small space at a point in time. Moreover, the oil may re-suspend and sink, with changes in salinity, sediment load, and temperature, making fate and transport models difficult to deploy and adjust.

"For these reasons, we have developed a unique approach to the problem, bridging sampling plan techniques with pollutant transport modelling, to create models of sunken oil." (ANI)