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Use of Physical Sciences in Support of Environmental Management

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Abstract

Offshore drilling for oil and gas has been conducted since the early 1900s. Oil and gas under the seabed continue to be an important part of the energy resources of the United States. The need to balance the value of these resources against the potential for environmental damage is an important concern. This article explains why and how the Minerals Management Service (MMS) of the US Department of the Interior uses research in physical sciences to help fulfill its environmental goals, and it provides background information on the role of physical sciences in decision-making for Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) oil, gas, and other minerals development. Established in the 1970s, the MMS’ Environmental Studies Program is a highly focused marine research program designed to provide the environmental information necessary for OCS energy and nonenergy minerals planning and development activities. The physical sciences research supported by MMS includes physical oceanography, oil-spill risk analyses, atmospheric sciences, and sand and gravel studies. Instead of giving a comprehensive review on physical sciences research in MMS, this article presents sample MMS studies and illustrates how these studies are utilized to support decision-making in environmental management.

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Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank the following MMS colleagues for their contributions: Robert LaBelle, Dick Wildermann, Jim Cimato, Walter Johnson, Ron Lai, Jim Price, Chip Marshall, Dirk Herkhof, and Barry Drucker at the MMS Headquarters; Elizabeth Pueler, Alexis Lugo-Fernandez, Carole Current, and Chester Huang at the MMS Gulf of Mexico Region; and Cleveland Cowles, Dick Prentki, and Caryn Smith at the MMS Alaska Region. The author would also like to thank James Kendall, who provided valuable guidance and comments that made this article possible, and Eileen Lear, who provided her editing skills.

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  1. Minerals Management Service, Herndon, VA 20170-4817, USA

    Zhen-Gang Ji

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  1. Zhen-Gang Ji
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Correspondence to Zhen-Gang Ji.

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Ji, ZG. Use of Physical Sciences in Support of Environmental Management. Environmental Management 34, 159–169 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0205-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-004-0205-8

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