gulf oil plume.m4v

A scale simulation of the subsurface oil plume created in a test tank at the Hydraulics Facility at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California.

The Reynolds numbers of the plume flow are approximately correct, density of the dye plume has been adjusted to approximate that of the buoyant oil plume into the surrounding sea water. The linear scaling and plume flow rates are scaled 1000x.

This is a first order simulation -- the thermal structure and current flows in the real environment have not been accounted for. However, the general dynamics and dimensions of the plume are qualitatively appropriate.

For more information about the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the Gulf Oil Spill see:
http://scrippsnews.ucsd.edu/Releases/?releaseID=1074&pass=437434

For other marine science video presentations and lectures try:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ENtNt-kb3o

Which is part of the University of California's, Perspectives on Ocean Science series:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cn2TBOW1jwk

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• gulf
• mexico
• BP
• oil
• plume
• underwater
• subsurface
• fluid
• dynamics
• simulation
• SIO
• oceanography
• slick