Scientists frequently monitor systems around the clock even when nothing significant seems to be occurring. It is important to have the base-line data on record so that when something out of the ordinary occurs we will have a better understanding of how the system functions. For example, having a good understanding of normal tides and winds in the Tampa Bay area under normal conditions will enable us to better understand what to expect during a hurricane. Taking this one step further, maintaining records of all storms, will enable us to better understand what will happen when a strong hurricane threatens the area. This is one of the reasons for the real time data availability of the P.O.R.T.S. site.
The importance of having real time data available is clearly understood when we look at the oil spill simulation presented on the P.O.R.T.S. site. In this activity we will study this simulation. We will then take the data, collected over 5 consecutive days, (from part two) and use it to predict what will happen if there were an oil spill at a specific point in the Tampa Bay area.
Objective: Record data over a specific interval of time, identify trends, and use this information to solve a problem.
1. Go to the Tampa Bay P.O.R.T.S. site. Scroll down beyond the Data Summary table. Look for the heading PORTS Applications and click on Tampa Bay oil spill simulation. Read all of the directions carefully.
What is the role of P.O.R.T.S.’ during an oil spill in Tampa Bay? ______________________
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2. Click on the link "P.O.R.T.S. and Oil Spill Drills." Read very carefully.
On April 18, 1995 P.O.R.T.S. responded to a mock oil spill at which Florida Power Plant? ______________________
This simulation represented a spill of ___________________ gallons of No. 6 fuel oil.
In the event of a “real” oil spill, what would P.O.R.T.S. provide? _________________
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3. Click on the link “Barrow oil spill simulation after two hours.” Make note of the location and size of the spill.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link “the 12 hr. projection.” Study the map and again make note of the location and size of the spill. How might winds and tides be influencing this spill? __________________________________
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5. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link “24 hr. projection.” Study the map and again make note of the location and size of the spill. How might winds and tides be influencing this spill? _______________________________________
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6. You are now ready to set up an oil spill simulation of your own. The location of this spill will be Port Manatee. The amount and type of oil spilled will be the same as that of the Bartow simulation. The tide and weather conditions for the simulation will come from the five days of data you have collected from the P.O.R.T.S. Port Manatee station.
From the P.O.R.T.S. site click on the link “Map of Tampa Bay.” Copy this map to your data folder and make five copies naming them for the five consecutive days of the data you collected in Part 2. Using the tide and meteorological data, project what will happen with the spill over the five days. Construct 5 maps like those used in the Bartow simulation. You can import the maps into a paint program and make the necessary changes or print them out and indicate changes with marker. Include with each map a brief explanation of the causes and effects of each map using data available from your tide and meteorological charts.