Determining the wind-driven surface currents for prediction of movements of oil slicks in the Arabian Gulf

Proposed is a computational algorithm for determination of surface currents under given wind conditions for prediction of oil slick trajectories in the Arabian Gulf. The algorithm interpolates a prespecified set of current velocities obtained from the three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Arabian Gulf. The three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the Arabian Gulf computes surface currents for any given wind velocity. The prespecified wind velocities are combinations of the eight cardinal wind directions and seven wind speeds ranging from 5 to 35 knots, at 5-knot increments. A database of surface current velocities for the selected wind conditions is created. The interpolation algorithm developed in this study uses the database to compute the surface currents for various wind conditions. The proposed algorithm provides the many prospective users an opportunity to utilize the three-dimensional hydrodynamic models without the requirement for large computing resources. Numerical results indicate the feasibility of such an approach.