When Oil Reaches the Shore

A variety of factors affect what happens when an oil spill reaches the shoreline:

• Wave energy
• Tides
• Substrate type (the types of materials making up the shoreline, such as sand, gravel, rocks, and dirt)
• Shoreline slope

Shorelines are classified by rank, depending on how easy oil cleanup would be, how long the oil could persist, and how sensitive the shoreline ecosystem is.

The persistence of oil on a shoreline can last longer than expected, based on microclimates, or localized weather elements that differs from the surrounding area.

Weathered crude can develop a thin "skin" that could release fresher oil when disturbed during cleanup operations.

Based on the organic matter and vegetation mixed with oil, and water and oil emulsification (a process where one liquid is dispersed in another), some patches of oil might not weather into a semi-solid tar.

To learn more about Oil Spill Cleanup visit our Oil Spill Cleanup Hazards Online Training web page.