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Abstract
Although the ecological devastations induced by an oil spill are well studied, the hydrometeorological impacts from a long-term slick have gone unnoticed. The ocean-surface alterations stemming from the lasting oil footprint increase solar radiation absorption which in turn alters the atmospheric sea level pressure (SLP) and moisture gradients and wind speeds thereby influencing precipitation surrounding the oil spill. Revealing the potential impacts from these could better aid in the safety of crews cleaning spills and provide a better understanding of how humans alter the landscape. This thesis examines the changes in local hydrometeorology brought on by the 20 April – 19 September 2010 Deepwater Horizon(DWH) oil spill in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Five Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) 4.2 simulations are utilized to establish potential impacts on pressure, wind, cloud fraction, and precipitation to ERA5 Reanalysis data with and without increased sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from the oil slick footprint.
During the time period of the simulations, compared to the control, the experimental scenarios suggest an increase in 2-m dewpoint temperatures and a decrease in SLP from the increased SSTs and implementation of the oil footprint. Additionally, the experimental scenarios display a ten-or-more percent increase in mid- to high-level cloud fractions compared to the control and a ten-or-more percent decrease in low-level cloud fractions. Roughly 300mm of greater experimental precipitation accumulation occurred across the portion of the GOM within the inner domain of the spill, implying that the alterations made within the scenarios influence the spatial and temporal patterns of precipitation.
