ASTM F1687-97

Standard Guide for Terminology and Indices to Describe Oiling Conditions on Shorelines

SCOPE
1.1 This guide covers the standardized terminology and types of observational data and indices appropriate to describe the quantity, nature, and distribution of oil and physical oiling conditions on shorelines that have been contaminated by an oil spill.  
1.2 This guide does not address the mechanisms and field procedures by which the necessary data are gathered; nor does it address terminology used to describe the cultural resource or ecological character of oiled shorelines, spill monitoring, or cleanup techniques.  
1.3 This guide applies to marine shorelines (including estuaries) and may also be used in freshwater environments (rivers and lakes).  
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the standard. The values given in parentheses are for information only.  
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.

General Information

• Status: Historical
• Publication Date: 09-Feb-1997
• Technical Committee: F20 - Hazardous Substances and Oil Spill Response
• Drafting Committee: F20.17 - Shoreline and Inland Countermeasures

Relations

• Replaced By: ASTM F1687-97(2003) - Standard Guide for Terminology and Indices to Describe Oiling Conditions on Shorelines
• Effective Date: 10-Feb-1997
• Referred By: ASTM F1686-22 - Standard Guide for Surveys to Document and Assess Oiling Conditions
• Effective Date: 10-Feb-1997
• Referred By: ASTM F2204/F2204M-22 - Standard Guide for Describing Shoreline and Inland Response Techniques
• Effective Date: 10-Feb-1997

Standards Content (Sample)

NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
Designation: F 1687 – 97
Standard Guide for
Terminology and Indices to Describe Oiling Conditions on
Shorelines
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F 1687; the number immediately following the designation indicates the year of
original adoption or, in the case of revision, the year of last revision. A number in parentheses indicates the year of last reapproval. A
superscript epsilon (e) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. Scope half (approximate) of the zone of wave activity.
3.1.3 supra-swash zone—the area above the highest annual
1.1 This guide covers the standardized terminology and
water level that experiences wave activity only occasionally, as
types of observational data and indices appropriate to describe
during a storm event.
the quantity, nature, and distribution of oil and physical oiling
3.1.4 supra-tidal zone—the area above the mean high tide
conditions on shorelines that have been contaminated by an oil
that experiences wave activity occasionally.
spill.
3.1.5 upper-swash zone—the area between the highest an-
1.2 This guide does not address the mechanisms and field
nual water level and the mean annual water level, the upper
procedures by which the necessary data are gathered; nor does
half (approximate) of the zone of wave activity.
it address terminology used to describe the cultural resource or
3.1.6 weathered oil—the oil that has had an alteration of
ecological character of oiled shorelines, spill monitoring, or
physical or chemical properties, or both, through natural
cleanup techniques.
processes such as evaporation, dissolution, oxidation, emulsi-
1.3 This guide applies to marine shorelines (including
fication, and biodegradation.
estuaries) and may also be used in freshwater environments
(rivers and lakes).
4. Significance and Use
1.4 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as the
4.1 In order to ensure data consistency, it is important to use
standard. The values given in parentheses are for information
standardized terminology and definitions in describing oiling
only.
conditions. This guide provides a template for that purpose.
1.5 This standard does not purport to address all of the
4.2 Data on oiling conditions at a shoreline are needed to
safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the
provide an accurate perspective of the nature and scale of the
responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appro-
oiling problem and to facilitate spill-response planning and
priate safety and health practices and determine the applica-
decision making. Data on oiling conditions would be used in
bility of regulatory limitations prior to use.
assessing the need for cleanup actions, selecting the most
2. Referenced Documents appropriate response technique(s), determining priorities for
cleanup, and evaluating the endpoint of cleanup activities.
2.1 ASTM Standards:
4.3 Mechanisms by which data are collected may vary (see
F 1686 Guide for Surveys to Document and Assess Oiling
,
3 4
Guide F 1686). They may include aerial videotape surveys
Conditions on Shorelines
or ground-level assessment surveys. The composition and
3. Terminology responsibility of the survey team will depend on the response
organization and objectives. The magnitude and type of data
3.1 Definitions:
sets collected may likewise vary with the nature of the spill and
3.1.1 asphalt pavement—a naturally formed cohesive mix-
operational needs.
ture of weathered oil and sediments. Sediments in the mixture
4.4 Consistent data sets (observations and measurements)
are usually in the sand/granule/pebble size range. In appear-
on shoreline oiling conditions are essential within any one spill
ance, natural asphalt pavement may resemble the mixture
in order to compare the data between different sites or
artificially created to surface roads.
3.1.2 lower-swash zone—the area between the lowest an-
nual water level and the mean annual water level, the lower
Oilspill SCAT Manual for the Coastlines of British Columbia, Prepared by
Woodward-Clyde Consultants, Seattle for the Environmental Technology Branch,
Environment Canada, Edmonton, Alta., 1992.
1 4
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F-20 on Hazardous Shoreline Countermeasures Manual—Tropical Coastal Environments, Hazard-
Substances and Oil Spill Response and is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee ous Materials Response and Assessment Division, National Oceanic and Atmo-
F20.17 on Shoreline Countermasters. spheric Administration, Seattle, WA, 1993.
Current edition approved Feb. 10, 1997. Published April 1997. Originally Source: Owens, E. H., and Sergy, G. A., Field Guide to the Documentation and
published as F 1687 – 96. Last previous edition F 1687 – 96. Description of Oiled Shorelines, ISBN 0-662-22048-X, Environment Canada,
Annual Book of ASTM Standards, Vol 11.04. Edmonton, Alta., 1994.
Copyright © ASTM International, 100 Barr Harbor Drive, PO Box C700, West Conshohocken, PA 19428-2959, United States.
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
F 1687
observers, and to compare the data against existing bench- zonation. The location of the stranded oil within the intertidal
marks or criteria that have been developed to rate the nature or zone affects operational access time and oil persistence.
severity of the oiling. To the extent possible, consistency is also 5.2.1 Tidal zonation is described in terms of the supra-tidal,
desirable between different spills, in order to benefit from upper/mid/lower intertidal, and sub-tidal zones.
previous experiences and cleanup decisions. 5.2.2 Non-tidal shoreline zonation is described in terms of
4.5 It is recognized that some modifications may be appro- the supra/upper/lower swash zone for lacustrine (lake) envi-
priate based on local or regional geographic conditions or upon ronments and the over/upper/lower/midstream bank for river-
the specific character of the stranded oil. ine (river) environments.
5.3 Oil persistence and the choice of cleanup options will be
5. General Considerations
different for subsurface oil as opposed to surface oil. Descrip-
5.1 Shoreline conditions can be described in terms of the tions of shoreline oiling conditions should distinguish between
length, width, depth, distribution, quantity, and character of oil the oiling of surface sediments from that on the subsurface
contamination. These six different types of data are collected sediments (vertical zonation). On coarse sediment beaches, it
by direct measurement or direct visual estimates calibrated can be difficult to differentiate the vertical boundaries. Fig. 1
against existing scales or indices. Standard definitions and illustrates an approach for discriminating those boundaries.
descriptors of these data have been developed (Sections 6 and 5.4 For beaches with fine sediments (that is, pebble, gran-
7). Second-order applications of the basic data are further used
ule, sand, and mud), the subsurface begins at 5 cm below the
to aid response planning (Sections 8 and 9). surface. If a pit were to reveal oiling in sand from the surface
5.2 Descriptions of shoreline oiling conditions are typically
down to 20 cm, the upper 5 cm would be classified as surface
referenced to the lateral (seaward to landward) shoreline oil and the remainder as subsurface. However, the oiled
FIG. 1 Subsurface Boundaries for Various Beach Types
NOTICE: This standard has either been superceded and replaced by a new version or discontinued.
Contact ASTM International (www.astm.org) for the latest information.
F 1687
interval would still be shown as 0 to 20 cm. purpose of aggregation of the actual value, use the classifica-
tion of the following:
5.5 For beaches with coarse sediments (that is, cobble and
boulder), the subsurface begins at the bottom of the surface
Trace <1 %
Sporadic 1 to 10 %
material (that is, where the top layer of cobbles or boulders
Patchy 11 to 50 %
contact the underlying layer of sediments).
Broken 51 to 90 %
5.6 Where asphalt pavement exists on the surface, the Continuous 91 to 100 %
subsurface begins at the bottom of the pavement.
6.4 Surface-Oil Quantity—This describes the amount of oil
5.7 Definitions of the inorganic sediments based on size are
on shoreline surface sediments. The quantity is usually ex-
as follows:
pressed as thickness or concentration.
Boulder (>256-mm diameter)
6.4.1 Direct measurement of oil thickness can be made for
Cobble (64 to 256-mm diameter)
very thick and larger deposits of oil. Visual estimates of the
Pebble (4 to 64-mm diameter)
Granule (2 to 4-mm diameter)
thickness of oil on the shoreline surface sediments can be used
Sand (0.06 to 2-mm diameter)
in the field. The dominant oil thickness within a band or area
Mud/silt/clay (<0.06-mm diameter)
can be described by the classification of the following:
6.4.1.1 Pooled or Thick Oil (PO), generally consisting of
6. Description of Shoreline Surface-Oiling
fresh oil or mousse accumulations >1-cm thick.
6.1 Oil Length—This refers to the along-shore length of
6.4.1.2 Cover (CV), 0.1 cm and #1-cm thick.
oiled shoreline.
6.4.1.3 Coat (CT), >0.01 cm and #0.1-cm thick coating.
6.1.1 The length should be described in numeric terms, as
This can be scratched off on coarse sediments or bedrock.
the actual measured or estimated value.
6.4.1.4 Stain (ST), #0.01-cm thick. An oil residue discol-
6.1.2 The length value must clearly indicate a reference to
oration on the sediment surface. It cannot be scratched off
one of three different delineations:
easily on coarse sediments or bedrock.
6.1.2.1 The length of oiled-shoreline, which is the length of
6.4.1.5 Film (FL), transparent or translucent thin layer or
any single continuous oiling deposit and which is keyed to a
sheen.
specific shoreline location;
6.4.2 The oil concentration can be determined by chemical
6.1.2.2 The total length of oiled-shoreline, which is the su
...