Summary:
We proposed to expand the Lagrangian transport simulation, developed in Phase 1, to cover the entire period of the oil spill disaster. Additionally, physical, chemical, and biological processes will be added to the model. Rather than rely on one kind of formulation, different options for representing these physics will be explored, as well as new timestepping schemes. Prototype models will also be prepared, such as parallel version of the Lagrangian particle model based on the Cactus open source framework, and an Eulerian oil transport/fate model.
The advective components of the Lagrangian model will be calibrated using variational optimization algorithms. The impact of freshwater diversions and river outflow will be investigated. The overall goal is to address fate and transport issues related to the Deepwater Horizon incident. It will also provide understanding of why some areas experienced high oil impact while others escaped relatively unscathed. Synergistic components include collaborating with Dr. Jim Chen (Louisiana State University) on the parallel code development and the utilization of hydrology model output for river flow influence from the research of Dr. Vladimir Alarcon.