Applications for SIMAP include:

• Hindcast/forecast of spill response.
• Natural resource damage assessment.
• Contingency planning - including worst-case scenario.
• Evaluation of point source discharges.
• Cost-benefit analysis.
• Drills and education.
  

• Contains ASA's own GIS or can be used in other GIS software such as ArcView®.
• Easily interpreted visual displays of surface distribution and subsurface concentrations of spilled oil and its components over time.
• Impacts on fish, shellfish, wildlife, and for series of habitats (environments) affected by the spill.
• Location specific environmental/ biological data applied to any fresh or salt aquatic environment in the world.
• 3D Viewer capabilities.
• Can utilize a variety of hydrodynamic file formats.

Physical Fates Model
SIMAP simulates the following processes:

• Initial plume dynamics.
• Slick spreading, transport, and entrainment of floating oil.
• Evaporation and volatilization (to atmosphere).
• Transport and dispersion of entrained oil and dissolved aromatics in the water column.
• Dissolution and adsorption of entrained oil and dissolved aromatics to suspended sediments.
• Sedimentation and resuspension.
• Natural degradation.
• Shoreline entrainment.
• Boom and dispersant effectiveness.

Biological Exposure and Effects Model
The biological exposure model evaluates:

• Area or water volume exposed above a selected threshold (i.e. a toxicological endpoint in US EPA ecological risk assessment terminology).
• Dose (sum of concentration times time of exposure) the biota are exposed to and the expected percent mortality from acute toxic effects.

Stochastic Model
The stochastic model predicts:

• Range of expected concentrations and the probability of exceeding thresholds of concern from a chemical discharge.
• Frequency distribution of model results, for which statistics are calculated and plotted.

Environmental, Chemical and Biological Databases

• Environmental database - includes coastline, bathymetry, shoreline type, ecological habitat type, and temporally varying ice coverage and temperature.
• Oil database - includes physical parameters that allow the user to add new oils, duplicate oils already in the database and make changes to oil data while preserving the original values.
• Biological databases - can be set up for any area of the world. For the US, ASA has developed a biological database containing seasonal or monthly mean abundance by species and habitat type for each biogeographic region of the US.
  

For more information about SIMAP by e-mail please contact: Deborah French

Download SIMAP Technical Manual