Oil in the Sea IV Inputs, Fates, and Effects (2022) / Chapter Skim
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Appendix G: Classification of Intertidal, Subtidal, Ice, and On-Water Areas
Appendix G: Classification of Intertidal, Subtidal, Ice, and On-Water Areas
Pages 467-486
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From page 467... ...
• They are built to protect the shore from erosion by waves, boat wakes, and currents, and thus are exposed to rapid natural removal processes.
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From page 468... ...
tion of sediments, mostly at the high tide line. • They often co-occur with gravel beaches; the gravel beach can be either at the upper or the lower half of the intertidal zone, depending on the nature of the bedrock outcrop.
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From page 469... ...
• These are erosional features with tundra vegeta- • Oil could be stranded onshore only during the tion overlying peat and exposed ground ice or ice-free summer season. permafrost.
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From page 470... ...
• Density of animals and plants in the upper intertidal • Long-term persistence will be controlled by the zone is low on exposed beaches but can be high on depth of routine reworking by the waves. sheltered gravel beaches and on the lower intertidal • On exposed beaches, oil can be pushed over the high zone of all beaches.
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From page 471... ...
until the oil hardens. • Attached biota are generally sparse at the upper intertidal zone, but more common in the lower intertidal zone.
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From page 472... ...
particularly at the high tide line, forming a distinct • Of particular concern are rocky shores that have a oil band. semi-permeable veneer of angular rubble overlying • The lower intertidal zone of rocky shores is usually the bedrock.
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From page 473... ...
• This shoreline type includes exposed peat scarps, • Oil could be stranded onshore only during the ice eroded peat, and peat slurries. free summer season.
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From page 474... ...
• Sheltered tidal flats are composed primarily of mud • Oil does not usually adhere to the surface of shel with minor amounts of sand and shell. tered tidal flats, but rather moves across the flat and • They are usually present in calm-water habitats, accumulates at the high tide line.
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From page 475... ...
• They are usually present in calm-water habitats, sheltered from major wave activity, and frequently backed by marshes. • The sediments are water saturated, with only the topographically higher ridges drying out during low tide.
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From page 476... ...
Seagrasses • Seagrasses are highly productive habitats that occur • Oil will usually pass over subtidal seagrass beds, on intertidal flats and in shallow coastal waters with no direct contamination. worldwide from arctic to tropical climates.
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From page 477... ...
• The presence of fine-grained sediments indicates • Significant natural dispersion of oil and sediments that the substrate is not exposed to significant wave into the water column occurs only during large or tidal energy. storms and nearshore oil spills.
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From page 478... ...
spilled oil are lost through weathering within hours • Animals include marine mammals, sea turtles, pe- and days. lagic birds, and many commercially and recreation- • Dissolved or dispersed oil concentrations are likely ally important fish and pelagic invertebrates.
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From page 479... ...
B -- Broken cover 51–90% cover, seen here as brown oil on tan sand beach. C -- Continuous cover 91–100% cover, seen here as black oil on light sand beach.
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From page 480... ...
TO: Thick Oil Fresh oil or mousse more than 1 cm thick. SOURCE: Information and images are from NOAA OR&R: https://response.restoration.noaa.gov/surface-oiling-descriptors-thickness.
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From page 481... ...
SR -- Surface Oil Residue Non-cohesive, heavily oiled surface sediments, characterized as soft incipient asphalt pavements. TC -- Tar Highly weathered oil of nearly solid consistency.
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From page 482... ...
MS -- Mousse Emulsified oil. An example of mousse is seen here as orange-brown oil coating cobbles.
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From page 483... ...
Appendix G 483 TABLE G.5 Sediment Types M -- Mud Mud can be composed of silt and/or clay. S -- Sand Sand grains measure between 0.06 and 4 mm in diameter.
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From page 484... ...
Rank of 1: Exposed, Impermeable Vertical Substrates. Rank of 3: Semi-Permeable Substrate, Lower Potential for These shoreline types are exposed to large waves, which Oil Penetration and Burial; infauna present but not usually tend to keep oil offshore by reflecting waves.
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From page 485... ...
Gravel beaches have the potential access makes sheltered tidal flats difficult once oil reaches for very deep oil penetration and slow natural removal rates these habitats, natural removal rates are very slow. They can of subsurface oil.
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