TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of River-Induced Fronts on Hydrocarbon Transport: A Multiplatform Observational Study
AU - Androulidakis, Yannis
AU - Kourafalou, Vassiliki
AU - Özgökmen, Tamay
AU - Garcia-Pineda, Oscar
AU - Lund, Björn
AU - Hénaff, Matthieu Le
AU - Hu, Chuanmin
AU - Haus, Brian K.
AU - Novelli, Guillaume
AU - Guigand, Cedric
AU - Kang, HeeSook
AU - Hole, Lars
AU - Horstmann, Jochen
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - The Taylor Energy Site is located in the vicinity of the Mississippi Delta region over the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM). Surface oil patches have been persistently observed within this site since 2004, when an oil rig was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. A multiplatform observational experiment was conducted in April 2017 to investigate, for the first time, the main hydrocarbon pathways from the Taylor Energy Site toward the NGoM continental shelves, and the Gulf interior, under the influence of local and regional physical processes. Results indicate that the Mississippi River (MR)-induced fronts over the Taylor Energy Site, in combination with local circulation, prevailing winds and broader regional dynamics determine the hydrocarbon transport. The drifters deployed during the field experiment, in tandem with satellite data, drone imagery, wind measurements, and radar-derived data, efficiently described three major hydrocarbon pathways, associated with MR plume dynamics (downstream/upstream coastal currents) and basin-wide circulation (offshore pathway). Two different types of drifters, drogued and undrogued, showed clearly different pathways, which suggest potential differences in the expected advection of oil, depending on whether it forms a surface slick or whether it is partially mixed below the surface. The existence of multiple river fronts influenced the fate of oiled waters, preventing the hydrocarbons from reaching the Delta, like a natural boom barrier, trapping and directing the oil either westward or eastward. Thermohaline measurements showed that the MR plume near Taylor was 5–10 m deep, while the clearer ocean was characterized by a 40 m upper ocean homogenous layer.
AB - The Taylor Energy Site is located in the vicinity of the Mississippi Delta region over the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM). Surface oil patches have been persistently observed within this site since 2004, when an oil rig was destroyed by Hurricane Ivan. A multiplatform observational experiment was conducted in April 2017 to investigate, for the first time, the main hydrocarbon pathways from the Taylor Energy Site toward the NGoM continental shelves, and the Gulf interior, under the influence of local and regional physical processes. Results indicate that the Mississippi River (MR)-induced fronts over the Taylor Energy Site, in combination with local circulation, prevailing winds and broader regional dynamics determine the hydrocarbon transport. The drifters deployed during the field experiment, in tandem with satellite data, drone imagery, wind measurements, and radar-derived data, efficiently described three major hydrocarbon pathways, associated with MR plume dynamics (downstream/upstream coastal currents) and basin-wide circulation (offshore pathway). Two different types of drifters, drogued and undrogued, showed clearly different pathways, which suggest potential differences in the expected advection of oil, depending on whether it forms a surface slick or whether it is partially mixed below the surface. The existence of multiple river fronts influenced the fate of oiled waters, preventing the hydrocarbons from reaching the Delta, like a natural boom barrier, trapping and directing the oil either westward or eastward. Thermohaline measurements showed that the MR plume near Taylor was 5–10 m deep, while the clearer ocean was characterized by a 40 m upper ocean homogenous layer.
KW - oil
KW - hydrodynamic circulation
KW - Gulf of Mexico
KW - Mississippi River
UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/2027
U2 - 10.1029/2017JC013514
DO - 10.1029/2017JC013514
M3 - Article
VL - 123
JO - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
JF - Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans
ER -