The Effect of Water Column Stability on Underwater Oil Blowouts Plume Dynamics and Peeling Height

Considering the increase in number of offshore oil production projects and for better understanding of plume dynamics in accidental underwater oil blowouts, a series of laboratory experiments in a square cross section open top basin were carried out to investigate the effect of changes in seawater stratification and water column stability on plume dynamics and peeling height. Accordingly the open top basin was filled with stratified salt water at different buoyancy frequencies and the results of experiments were numerically expanded to marine condition of shallow waters. Non-dimensionalized form of experimental and numerical results showed that decrease in basin buoyancy frequency increases the plume peeling height and reduces the plume width. Experimental results showed that the neutral buoyancy level was the applicable transition criterion from plume dynamic phase to advective and diffusive phase.