Finite element simulation of tidal current movements and oil spills spreading

This paper presents work done utilizing Radarsat fine mode data to model the tidal current component effects on oil spills spreading. In this study, the utility of oil spills detection is examined using fractal dimension methods. The finite difference model is used to simulate the tidal current velocity from Radarsat data. The tidal current velocity modeled by using a finite difference model of Doppler shift frequency. The current velocity components are modeled by applying Lagrangian interpolation. The statistical model is used to find out the significant correlation between tidal current components and oil spills spreading. The results show the tidal current components have effects on the oil spills spreading. The northward tidal current components are effected the length of the oil spills while the eastward components are effected the width of oil spills. In conclusion, Radarsat data has good potential for oil spills detection and mapping. Radarsat data could be used to model the tidal speeds and their effects on oil spill patterns. The tidal current components are in good correlation with oil spill lengths and widths