A multidisciplinary numerical model was developed to describe the behavior of nonconservative tracers in the sea with an application to oil slicks resulting from accidental discharges of oil. The coastal waters north of the Apsheron Peninsula (Caspian Sea) were chosen as an example for the numerical study. Our model is based on the Monte Carlo method and accounts for the real bottom topography as well as the characteristic thermohaline profiles of the region. Various factors influencing the oil slick evolution, such as the specific properties of oil and the hydrodynamic features of the region, are modeled. The latter are simulated by means of a modified three-dimensional multi-layered primitive equation model known as the Princeton Ocean Model. The coastal water dynamics and oil slick spreading under various meteorological conditions are studied and discussed with the aim of providing a reliable risk assessment of oil spills.
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