Microcomputer Model for Oil Spill Simulation (MICROSS)

Abstract

An integrated microcomputer‐based model is developed for oil spill simulation, data preparation, and graphical display of results. The mathematical model for oil spills can simulate advection, horizontal diffusion, mechanical spreading, evaporation, dissolution, and shoreline deposition of oil spills in rivers and lakes. The graphical analysis of results can be in color or monochrome. The monochrome version represents the oil slick as an assembly of large number of dots, superimposed on river or lake maps. In the color version, square boxes represent the oil slick. Each of these boxes is assigned a color, based on the volume of oil it represents. The model can also prepare the data for the simulation programs, access the disk resident data bank, and add new data to the data bank. All actions—from data preparation to display of results—can be directed interactively from menus and by answering computer prompted questions.