Development and verification of interfacial tension model on the oil spreading under ice covers

Abstract

As described in this paper, we investigated the effect of interfacial tension on the spread of oil under an ice sheet after an oil spill accident in an icy region. We measured the interfacial tension of oil and water, the contact angle of ice, water, and the oil interface with an interface tension measurement technique called Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis. The contact angle was about 180 degrees. Results suggest that a thin water film forms between the oil and ice. A simple but accurate model formula was produced based on the result. The oil slick radius predicted using this model formula agrees well with oil spill experiment results. Additionally, we proposed an application method for the model to an oil spread problem under an ice sheet with an irregular bottom face. The method described herein can estimate the oil slick spread region created by an oil spill accident.