- Author
- Lowles, I. M. | ApSimon, H. M.
- Title
- Intercomparison of Mathematical Models Used to Simulate the Atmospheric Dispersion of Smoke From the Gulf Oil Fires.
- Coporate
- Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, London, England
- Report
- R/D-6505-EN-01, 1992, 38 p.
- Distribution
- Available from National Technical Information Service
- Contract
- DAJA45-90-C-0056
- Keywords
- well fires | mathematical models | dispersions | smoke | air pollution
- Abstract
- In March 1991, the retreating Iraqi army carried out a scorched earth policy, the likes of which had never been seen before. Six million barrels of oil were released into the Gulf, producing the worlds largest recorded slick, and over six hundred oil wells were ignited. The magnitudeof the devastation, coupled with media coverage, and not least the fact that the environmental atrocities had been committed by the 'opposition', led many people to believe that the smoke from the fires would result in substantial surface cooling, failure of the Asian monsoons, extensive crop destruction and accelerated global warming.