SIMAP

SIMAP provides detailed predictions of the three-dimensional trajectory, fate, biological effects, and other impacts of spilled oil and fuels. Highlights include:

Physical Fates Model
Biological Exposure and Effects Model
Stochastic Model
Interactive GIS
Environmental, Oil & Biological Databases

Applications for SIMAP

Impact Assessment
Hindcast/forecast of spill response
Natural resource damage assessment
Contingency planning - including worst-case scenario
Ecological Risk Assessment
Cost-benefit analysis
Drills and education

Features

Contains RPS ASA’s own GIS or can be used in other GIS software such as ArcView®
Easily interpreted visual displays of surface distribution and subsurface concentrations of spilled oil and its components over time
Impacts on fish, shellfish, wildlife, and for series of habitats (environments) affected by the spill.
Location-specifi c environmental/ biological data applied to any fresh or salt aquatic environment in the world
3D Viewer capabilities
Can utilize a variety of hydrodynamic file formats

Model Modules

Physical Fates Model

Initial plume dynamics
Slick spreading, transport, and entrainment of floating oil
Evaporation and volatilization (to atmosphere)
Transport and dispersion of entrained oil and dissolved aromatics in the water column
Dissolution and adsorption of entrained oil and dissolved aromatics to suspended sediments
Sedimentation and resuspension
Natural degradation
Shoreline entrainment
Boom and dispersant effectiveness

Biological Exposure and Effects Model

Area or water volume exposed above a selected threshold(i.e. a toxicological endpoint in US EPA ecological risk assessment terminology)
Dose (sum of concentration times time of exposure) aquatic biota are exposed to and the expected percent mortality from acute toxic effects
Direct-contact impacts to birds, mammals, and other wildlife

Stochastic Model

Range of expected contamination and the probability of exceeding thresholds of concern from an oil discharge
Frequency distribution of model results, for which statistics are calculated and plotted

Environmental, Chemical and Biological Databases

Environmental database - includes coastline, bathymetry, shoreline type, ecological habitat type, and temporally varying ice coverage, temperature, and salinity
Oil database - includes physical-chemical properties; allows the user to add new oils, duplicate oils already in the database and make changes to oil data while preserving the original values
Biological databases - can be set up for any area of the world. For the US, RPS ASA has developed a biological database containing seasonal or monthly mean abundance by species and habitat type for each biogeographic region of the US