A theoretical model to estimate the oil burial depth on sandy beaches: A new oil spill management tool

• A model for estimating the oil burial depth on sandy beaches is proposed.
• Tests revealed two different beach profile responses to seasonal changes.
• Definition of burial depth depends on this seasonal beach behaviour.
• Burial and exhumation can coexist on the intertidal area.
• A new tool for oil spill management on sandy beaches is proposed.

In oiled sandy beaches, unrecovered fuel can be buried up to several metres. This study proposes a theoretical approach to oil burial estimation along the intertidal area. First, our results revealed the existence of two main patterns in seasonal beach profile behaviour. Type A is characterized by intertidal slopes of time-constant steepness which advance/recede parallel to themselves in response to changing wave conditions. Type B is characterized by slopes of time-varying steepness which intersect at a given point in the intertidal area. This finding has a direct influence on the definition of oil depth. Type A pattern exhibits oil burial along the entire intertidal area following decreasing wave energy, while the type B pattern combines burial in high intertidal and exhumation in mid and/or low intertidal zones, depending on the position of the intersection point. These outcomes should be incorporated as key tools in future oil spill management programs.