MEMBER 



•SKIRT 



BALLAST 

 'WEIGHT 



^n □ □ □ □ □ 



END VIEW SIDE VIEW 



Figure 1. The basic components of an oil containment boom. 



Booms are usually susceptible to two kinds of failure while they are 

 deployed: (1) entrainment and (2) splashover. 



Entrainment is the loss of oil under the skirt, due normally to a combination 

 of increased headwave thickness and water current. Figure 2 illustrates what 

 happens to cause this undesirable effect. 



WATER FLOW 



END VIEW 

 OF BOOM 



OIL DROPLETS 

 BREAKING OFF 



Figure 2. Heavy waves and currents may wash spilled oil under 

 the boom; this type of failure is known as "entrainment." 



71 



