title: A theoretical model to estimate the oil burial depth on sandy beaches: A new oil spill management tool.
abstract: In oiled sandy beaches, unrecovered fuel can be buried up to several metres. This study proposes a theoretical approach to oil burial estimation along the intertidal area. First, our results revealed the existence of two main patterns in seasonal beach profile behaviour. Type A is characterized by intertidal slopes of time-constant steepness which advance/recede parallel to themselves in response to changing wave conditions. Type B is characterized by slopes of time-varying steepness which intersect at a given point in the intertidal area. This finding has a direct influence on the definition of oil depth. Type A pattern exhibits oil burial along the entire intertidal area following decreasing wave energy, while the type B pattern combines burial in high intertidal and exhumation in mid and/or low intertidal zones, depending on the position of the intersection point. These outcomes should be incorporated as key tools in future oil spill management programs.
authors.affiliation: GEOMA.NET, Dpt. Geociencias Marinas, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain. Electronic address: bernabeu@uvigo.es.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bernabeu
authors.affiliation: GEOMA.NET, Dpt. Geociencias Marinas, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fernández-Fernández
authors.affiliation: GEOMA.NET, Dpt. Geociencias Marinas, Universidad de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rey
mesh_terms: D001493:Bathing Beaches; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry*; D008956:Models, Chemical; D010578:Petroleum / Q000032:analysis*; D059392:Petroleum Pollution; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*; D014877:Water Pollution, Chemical / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D010578:Petroleum; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Equilibrium beach profile; Modelling; Oil burial depth; Oil spill; Shoreline evolution