A Three-dimensional Numerical Modeling of Contaminant Dispersion from Arvand Rood River into the Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf is an important economic and geo-political region. Owing to its oil and gas resources, it is one of the busiest waterways in the world. There are many operating oil wells in the northern part of the Persian Gulf. As a result, the risk of contaminant dispersion is high. The deliberate discharge of 6.3 million barrels of crude oil during the 1991 war against Kuwait in this region was an extreme act of environmental terrorism is an example to show that this region is at risk of pollution. The Arvand Rood River is the only navigable river located at the northwestern extremity of the Persian Gulf and the biggest river discharging into it. Many vessels transport huge amount of oil from this river daily. To study the contaminant dispersion from the Arvand Rood River into the Persian Gulf, a three dimensional hydrodynamic model (COHERENS) was employed. Our findings contributed to an understanding of circulation patterns in the northern part of the Persian Gulf to aid ship traffic and managing of oil spills. Results of the model are in close agreement with previous field data.