Tidal Effect on Chemical Spill in San Diego

A coupled hydrodynamic-chemical spill model is used to investigate the chemical spill in the San Diego Bay. The hydrodynamic model shows that the San Diego Bay is tidally dominated. Two different patterns of chemical spill were found with pollutants (methanol, benzene, liquefied ammonia, etc.) released at 0.5 m depth in the northern bay (32o43’N, 117o13.05 ’ W) and in the southern bay (32o39’N, 117o07.92 ’ W). For the north-bay release, the chemical pollutants spreading in the whole basin with a fast speed of spill in the northern part (12 hours) and a slow speed of spill in the southern part (20 days) with very small concentration. For the south-bay release, the chemical pollutants are kept in the southern part. Very few pollutants reach 32o41’N parallel (the boundary between the north and south bays)