OIL SPILL COUNTERMEASURES IN LANDFAST SEA ICE

Abstract

ABSTRACT The behavior of crude oil and diesel oil in solid landfast sea ice has been examined under a variety of conditions by scientists in both the United States and the Canadian Arctic. Controlled oil releases under laboratory and actual field conditions have shown that oil spills in the landfast ice zone will tend to remain highly immobilized and achieve relatively thick concentrations. Such spills will encounter natural conditions that encourage accumulation of the oil at or near the ice surface, limit the areal extent of the oil, and help preserve certain physical and chemical characteristics that facilitate its control. A summary of these phenomena for oil in landfast sea ice reveals several important operational considerations for the development of specific Arctic countermeasure techniques. Such techniques for the containment and removal of oil in the landfast ice zone are presented, emphasizing the use of natural materials and conditions for their implementation.