CTHOMAS.CASSIN@BIONET-20.BIO.NET (Richard Cassin) (04/11/89)
Posted: Sat, Apr 8, 1989 8:43 PM EDT Msg: NGIJ-3920-7580
From: T.ROYER
To: OCEAN
CC: I.WITNESS
Subj: EXXON SPILL REPORT 3
Finally there is some more positive news about the oil spill. The
leading edge of the spill at the sea surface has stabilized and actually
retrogressed about 20 miles so weathering and spreading are halting the
forward advance before it reached Kodiak Island. Of course, it is unknown
as to how much remains in the water column. The maximum extent of the slick
was about 240 miles from the Bligh Reef with a width of about 30 miles.
Wind conditions are expected to change this weekend with a storm moving into
the region. This low pressure system should move the slick shoreward onto
the coast between Prince William Sound and Gore Point and might accelerate
the alongshore movement. More recent estimates of the amount of oil within
the sound are that about 1/3 is on the beaches, 1/3 is still floating within
the sound and 1/3 has now left the sound. Given these amounts, it looks
like about 1/2 of the spill will enter the Gulf of Alaska. As of yesterday,
the rate of oil discharge from the sound had not peaked. Storm systems in
this region are usually accompanied with extreme downslope winds (out of
bays and passes into the open ocean) so that this could move the oil out of
the sound, into the westward flowing Alaska Coastal Current. The winds
rotate into easterlies after they get out in the open ocean and these are
the winds that will put the oil ashore. However, towns such as Seward
located at the head of a fjord should be protected by these winds.
NSF has provided emergency funds and a week of ship time to carry out
an initial interdisciplinary survey of Prince William Sound. That cruise
will terminate on 12 April, so additional information should be available at
that time.
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