title: A high-resolution operational forecast system for oil spill response in Belfast Lough.
abstract: This paper presents a high-resolution operational forecast system for providing support to oil spill response in Belfast Lough. The system comprises an operational oceanographic module coupled to an oil spill forecast module that is integrated in a user-friendly web application. The oceanographic module is based on Delft3D model which uses daily boundary conditions and meteorological forcing obtained from COPERNICUS and from the UK Meteorological Office. Downscaled currents and meteorological forecasts are used to provide short-term oil spill fate and trajectory predictions at local scales. Both components of the system are calibrated and validated with observational data, including ADCP data, sea level, temperature and salinity measurements and drifting buoys released in the study area. The transport model is calibrated using a novel methodology to obtain the model coefficients that optimize the numerical simulations. The results obtained show the good performance of the system and its capability for oil spill forecast.
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain. Electronic address: abascalaj@unican.es.
authors.forename: Ana J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Abascal
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain; Departamento de Ciencias y Técnicas del Agua y del Medio Ambiente, E.T.S.I. de Caminos Canales y Puertos, Universidad de Cantabria, Avda. de los Castros s/n, 39005 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Castanedo
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Núñez
authors.affiliation: Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, 18a Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mellor
authors.affiliation: Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, 18a Newforge Lane, Belfast BT9 5PX, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Annika
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clements
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pérez
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Mar
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cárdenas
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Helios
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chiri
authors.affiliation: Environmental Hydraulics Institute "IH Cantabria", Universidad de Cantabria, C/Isabel Torres n° 15, Parque Científico y Tecnológico de Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Raúl
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Medina
mesh_terms: D001267:Atlantic Ocean; D002138:Calibration; D004189:Disaster Planning / Q000379:methods*; D005544:Forecasting / Q000379:methods*; D007494:Ireland; D008685:Meteorological Concepts; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D059392:Petroleum Pollution / Q000032:analysis*; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors; D014872:Water Movements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Belfast Lough; Drifting buoys; Forecasting; Oil spill modelling; Operational oceanography