Simulating Oil Spill Evolution in Water and Sea Ice in the Beaufort Sea

The fate of a potential oil spill from an active lease location in the Beaufort Sea is simulated based on the solution of a high-resolution (1/18 th degree), pan-Arctic ocean and sea ice model. Experiments were set up to analyze the fate of the spill on a seasonal basis, in both the ocean surface and the sea ice, and to test the model sensitivity to various forcing and diffusivity coefficients. In general, spills from this location move toward the Canadian shore, except for during the fall when the ocean currents shift and carry the oil west toward Alaska. During the winter, the combination of high ice concentration and low diffusivity of the oil results in a relatively contained spill. A spill would be most detrimental during the summer months when, even with a lower diffusion coefficient, oil in ice spreads over almost as much area as oil in water. This work also highlights the importance of highresolution modelling for near-shore spills, the use of realistic forcing, and the necessity for more knowledge on how oil behaves under Arctic conditions.