Work

Modeling characteristic size distribution parameters of oil droplets generated by breaking waves

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Natural dispersion of oil is investigated experimentally in a wave flume. Three different nominal oil thicknesses, and three wave heights, are used, with each experiment repeated several times. Droplets are recorded at high frequency, using the SilCam, a telecentric camera system designed to measure oil droplet size distributions, and to discriminate between droplets and bubbles. Size distributions are recorded at two different sampling locations, over a time of about 80 s following the wave breaking. The results indicate that the volume-based median droplet size, d 50 v , has a clear dependence on oil slick thickness. We discuss implications for oil spill modeling, compare to existing droplet size models, and apply a new non-dimensional empirical function to model the early (transient) size distribution following a breaking wave, for use in operational oil spill modeling.

Source: Marine Pollution Bulletin

DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2026.119420