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Summary description:
The overall objective of this project is to develop a prototype Nowcast/Forecast System (NFS) that will be capable of calculating current velocity vector fields and temperature/salinity fields throughout Prince William Sound (PWS). The system will consist of a numerical circulation model running in near real-time, an observational network for collecting conventional and real-time data, and an information/data management system. The model trajectory and concentration predictions will serve as a foundation for research and development in several areas of concern, including oil spill trajectory modeling, testing dispersant strategies, iceberg trajectory prediction, vessel traffic safety, and future ecosystem studies. Effects to link the circulation model with the SINTEF Oil Spill Contingency And Response (OSCAR) model are underway.
The Observational Oceanography component of the NFS is aimed at collecting and analyzing oceanographic data for use in model forcing and verification. Four oceanographic cruises were conducted in PWS in 2000 aboard the SERVS vessel Valdez Star. Currents were measured with a downward-looking acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) towed from the stern of the ship. Temperature and salinity were measured at three stations in the central basin. Future plans include expanding the shipboard surveys and deploying satellite-tracked drifting buoys to document the upper layer circulation.
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