The NOAA trajectory analysis planner: TAP 11

Trajectory Analysis Planner (TAP 11) is a computer-based tool designed to investigate the probabilities that spilled oil will move and spread in particular ways within a particular area, such as a large bay or inlet with substantial ship traffic. By graphically presenting the results of thousands of oil-spill trajectory simulations, TAP 11 helps emergency planners understand and anticipate many possible outcomes when developing local-area contingency plans for oil spill response. TAP 11 assists in the following planning tasks: assessing potential threats from possible spill sites to a given sensitive location; determining which shoreline areas are likely to be threatened by a spill originating from a given location; calculating the probability that a certain amount of oil will reach a given site within a given time-period; estimating the levels of impact on a given resource from a spill; analyzing shortfalls in response personnel and equipment.