Assessment of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Studies Program -- Copyright -- Preface -- Contents -- Executive Summary -- THE PRESENT STUDY -- ACQUISITION AND USE OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHIC INFORMATION BY THE ESP -- CONCLUSIONS -- Physical Oceanographic Processes And Models Of Importance To The Esp -- Regional Oceanography -- Evaluation Of Regional Programs And Washington Office Programs -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- 1 Introduction -- OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF ACTIVITIES -- Management Of OCS Activities -- Extent of the Leasing Program -- Environmental Concerns Resulting from OCS Activities -- MMS'S ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM -- Mandate -- History of the Environmental Studies Program -- THE PRESENT STUDY -- PLANNING AND PROCUREMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES -- Development of a Studies Plan -- Implementation of Studies According to Lease-Sale Schedules -- WHY MMS NEEDS PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHIC INFORMATION -- ACQUISITION AND USE OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHIC INFORMATION -- WHAT INFORMATION IS NEEDED -- Information Needed for Leasing Decisions -- Information Needed for Development and Production Decisions -- Criteria for Judging Adequacy of Scientific Information -- 2 State-of-the-Art Overview: Physical Oceanographic Processes, Features, and Methods of Potential I... -- INTRODUCTION -- The Problem of Assessing Impacts of Oil Exploration: A Physical Oceanographic Perspective -- Transport Processes in the Water Column -- Sediment Transport Processes -- Space and Time Scales -- Forcing Mechanisms -- Oil Spill and Circulation Models -- Scope of the Overview -- TRANSPORT, STIRRING, AND MIXING PROCESSES -- Wind Stress-Drag Coefficient and Space and Time Resolution -- Surface Wind Drift and Ekman Dynamics -- Definition Of The Mixed Layer -- Mixed Layer Turbulence -- Surface Waves and Stokes Drift -- Response To Severe Storms -- Organized Motions.

Diurnal Cycle and Shallowing Mixed Layers -- Monitoring -- Coastal-Trapped Waves -- Mean-Flow Generation -- Interactions Of Western Boundary Currents With Shelves -- Mesoscale Features: Jets, Eddies, Squirts, And Filaments -- Fronts And Convergences -- Cross-Shelf Transport -- Buoyancy-Driven Flows -- Tides -- Internal Waves -- Lagrangian Motions -- NUMERICAL MODELS -- Circulation Modeling -- Testing Of Numerical Models -- Modeling The Spreading And Dispersion Of Oil -- Spreading -- Dispersion -- SEA ICE -- Ice Modeling -- Ice-Oil Interaction -- Numerical Models Including Oil-Ice Interactions -- SEDIMENT TRANSPORT -- Bottom Boundary Layer and Transport of Suspended Materials -- Sediment Transport and The Effect of Oil -- 3 Regional Oceanography and Evaluation of The Regional Studies Programs and Washington Office Gener... -- INTRODUCTION -- THE ALASKA REGION -- Meteorology and Circulation -- Gulf of Alaska -- Meteorology -- Circulation -- Interannual Variability -- Bering Sea -- Meteorology -- Circulation -- Interannual Variability -- Hydrography -- The Arctic Chukchi Sea and Bering Strait -- The Arctic: Beaufort Sea -- Meteorology -- Circulation -- Orography -- Sea Ice in Alaskan Waters -- Evaluation of Mms-Funded Research in the Alaska Region -- Synopsis -- Gulf of Alaska -- Bering Sea -- Arctic -- Sea Ice -- Evaluation of Observational Studies -- Evaluation of Modeling Studies -- THE PACIFIC REGION -- Meteorology and Circulation -- Mean and Seasonal Winds -- Circulation -- El Nino-Southern Oscillations and Interannual Variations -- Upwelling and Associated Events -- Internal Waves -- Bottom Boundary Layer -- Topographic Effects-Canyons and Capes -- Modeling -- Evaluation of Mms-Funded Research in the Pacific Region -- History of Mms-Funded Research in the Pacific Region -- Evaluation of Observational Studies -- Evaluation Of Modeling Studies.

THE GULF OF MEXICO REGION -- Meteorology and Circulation -- Meteorology -- Circulation -- General Circulation Features -- Major Circulation Features -- Shelf Circulation -- Evaluation of MMS-Funded Research in the Gulf of Mexico Region Observational Studies -- Observational Studies -- Eastern Gulf Of Mexico -- Western Gulf of Mexico -- North-Central Gulf of Mexico -- Evaluation of Observational Studies -- Modeling Studies -- Southwest Florida Shelf Model -- Texas-Louisiana Shelf Model -- Basin-wide Circulation Model -- Evaluation of Modeling Studies -- THE ATLANTIC REGION -- Meteorology and Circulation -- Meteorology -- Circulation -- The South Atlantic Bight -- The Mid-Atlantic Bight And Georges Bank -- Evaluation of MMS-funded Research in the Atlantic Region -- History of MMS-funded Research in the Atlantic Region -- Evaluation of Observational Studies -- Evaluation of Modeling Studies -- Environmental Impact Statements -- THE WASHINGTON OFFICE -- 4 Conclusion and Recommendations -- INTRODUCTION -- THE ROLE OF PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY IN THE ESP -- CONCLUSIONS -- Acquisition and Use of Physical Oceanographic Information -- Physical Oceanographic Models and Processes of Importance to the Esp -- Regional Oceanography -- Evaluation of Regional Programs -- RECOMMENDATIONS -- References -- Appendices -- Appendix A Glossary Of Physical Oceanography Terms -- Appendix B Workshop On Modeling In Physical Oceanography -- Physical Oceanography Panel Workshop On Oil-Spill Modeling August 5-6, 1987 -- Participants -- Workshop Recommendations -- Appendix C Physical Oceanography Study Contracts Awarded By The Minerals Management Service 1973-1989.