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Issue link: https://uscgproceedings.epubxp.com/i/149372
Scientifc Understanding Detecting and Mitigating Oil Spills in Ice byMS. MARIE C. DARLING Public Affairs Specialist U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Engineer Research and Development Center Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory ThesetestswereconductedusingCRREL'senvironmentaltestbasin,designedprimarilyforlarge-scale studyoftheeffectsoficeforcesonsuchstructuresas drillingplatforms,shoreprotectionsystems,bridge piers,andformodelstudiesofice-breakingvessels.2 The polar regions present a unique set of challenges for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL). Ice cover can obscure the movement of spilled oil, making it visually undetectable at times, which can further extend and complicate the process of detecting and mitigating oil spills. GPRtechnologyhasevolvedsincethen,andthese testsnowtakeplaceattheU.S.ArmyCorpsofEngineers'ColdRegionsGeophysicalResearchFacility. Nevertheless,workhascontinuedtoverifyperformanceandtodevelop3-Dmappingofoilundericeby usingimprovedGPRandprocessingsoftware.Today, usingGPRtechnologyisstandardpracticeforoilspill responders. Other Detection Methods Aerialsurveyisanotherdetectionmethod,whichcan rapidlydefnetheextentof,and/ortrack,aspill.Once The CRREL works with partners from industry, government agencies, and educational institutions to develop scientifc tools that can aid in efective oil spill response. These tools have many capabilities such as detecting oil spills and helping to decontaminate the afected areas above and below the water's icy surface. Oil Spill Detection InitialoilspilltestingtookplaceattheCRRELin 2004toevaluateoil-detectiontechniques.Laboratory expertsusedtwoindependenttechnologies,ahighfrequencypulsedground-penetratingradar(GPR) andanethanegassensor,toestablishwhetheroffthe-shelftechnologiesandsensorscoulddetectoil undersolidice.1 80 Proceedings Summer 2013 Researchers with the Boise State University profle an oil spill under ice at the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory's environmental test basin. All photos courtesy of Mr. Leonard Zabilansky at CRREL, unless stated otherwise. www.uscg.mil/proceedings