ASTM F1687-22

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Designation: F1687 − 16 F1687 − 22
Standard Guide for
Terminology and Indices to Describe Oiling Conditions on
Shorelines and Other Terrain
This standard is issued under the fixed designation F1687; 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 (´) indicates an editorial change since the last revision or reapproval.
1. 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 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 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 safety, health, and healthenvironmental practices and determine the
applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
1.5 This international standard was developed in accordance with internationally recognized principles on standardization
established in the Decision on Principles for the Development of International Standards, Guides and Recommendations issued
by the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Committee.
2. Referenced Documents
2.1 ASTM Standards:
F1686 Guide for Surveys to Document and Assess Oiling Conditions
F2202F2204/F2204M Guide for Describing Shoreline and Inland Response Techniques
3. Terminology
3.1 Definitions:
3.1.1 asphalt pavement—a naturally formed cohesive mixture of weathered oil and sediments. Sediments in the mixture are
usually in the sand/granule/pebble size range. In appearance, natural asphalt pavement may resemble the mixture artificially
created to surface roads.
3.1.2 habitat types and zones—the land-water interface is typically subdivided into across-shore zones. Dry land terrain is typically
distinguished by climate, altitude, and species. From Guide F2204F2204/F2204M;
This guide is under the jurisdiction of ASTM Committee F20 on Hazardous Substances and Oil Spill Responseand is the direct responsibility of Subcommittee F20.17
on Shoreline and Inland Countermeasures.
Current edition approved Jan. 1, 2016Sept. 1, 2022. Published February 2016October 2022. Originally approved in 1996. Last previous edition approved in 20092016 as
F1687 – 09.F1687 – 16. DOI: 10.1520/F1687-1610.1520/F1687-22
For referenced ASTM standards, visit the ASTM website, www.astm.org, or contact ASTM Customer Service at service@astm.org. For Annual Book of ASTM Standards
volume information, refer to the standard’s Document Summary page on the ASTM website.
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F1687 − 22
3.1.2.1 Discussion—
Marine and estuarine shorelines, river banks, and lake shores will be collectively referred to as shorelines, shores, or shore-zones.
3.1.2.2 Discussion—
Shore types include a range of impermeable (bedrock, ice, and manmade structures), permeable (flats, beaches, and manmade), and
coastal wetland (marshes, mangroves,) habitats.
3.1.2.3 Discussion—
Other non-shoreline, inland habitats include wetlands (pond, fen, bog, swamp, tundra, and shrub) and drier terrains (grassland,
desert, forests), and will be collectively referred to as either wetlands or terrains, respectively
Tidal Environments
Lower Intertidal Zone—the lower approximate one-third of the intertidal zone
Mid Intertidal Zone—the middle approximate one-third of the intertidal zone
Upper Intertidal Zone—the upper approximate one-third of the intertidal zone
Supra-Tidal Zone—the area above the mean high tide that occasionally
experiences wave activity; also known as the splash zone
Non-Tidal Waters and Lake Environments
Lower Swash Zone—the area between the mean annual water level and the
lowest annual water level, the lower approximate one-half of the zone of
wave activity
Upper Swash Zone—the area between the highest annual water level and the
mean annual water level; the upper approximate one-half of the zone of
wave activity
Supra-Swash Zone—the area above the highest annual water level that
occasionally experiences wave activity, for example, during a surge or
a storm event
River Environments
Lower Bank—exposed only during low flow conditions
Midstream—areas exposed in a channel that are separated from the river bank
Upper Bank—under water only during bank-full river stage
Overbank—flood plain-inundated only by over-bank flow during
flood conditions
Dry Land Terrains
Desert—arid lands with little precipitation, of which there are four broad types: hot and arid, semi-arid, coastal, and cold
Forest—treed lands of which there are three broad types: tropical, temperate, and boreal/taiga
Grassland—grass-dominated lands of which there are two broad types: tropical and temperate
Tundra—cold, treeless areas of far northern latitudes or alpine altitudes, of which there are two broad types: arctic and
alpine.
3.1.3 weathered oil—the oil that has had an alteration of physical or chemical properties, or both, through natural processes such
as evaporation, dissolution, oxidation, emulsification, and biodegradation.
4. Significance and Use
4.1 In order to ensure data consistency, it is important to use standardized terminology and definitions in describing oiling
conditions (1) . This guide provides a template for that purpose.
4.2 Data on oiling conditions at a shoreline are needed to provide an accurate perspective of the nature and scale of the oiling
problem and to facilitate spill-response planning and decision making. Data on oiling conditions would be used in assessing the
need for cleanup actions, selecting the most appropriate response technique(s), determining priorities for cleanup, and evaluating
the endpoint of cleanup activities.(2-3)
4.3 Mechanisms by which data are collected can vary (see Guide F1686). They can include aerial video surveys or ground-level
assessment surveys. The composition and responsibility of the survey team will depend on the response organization and
objectives. The magnitude and type of data sets collected can likewise vary with the nature of the spill and operational needs.
4.4 Consistent data sets (observations and measurements) on shoreline oiling conditions are essential within any one spill in order
to compare the data between different sites or observers, and to compare the data against existing benchmarks or criteria that have
been developed to rate the nature or severity of the oiling. To the extent possible, consistency is also desirable between different
spills, in order to benefit from previous experiences and cleanup decisions.
The boldface numbers in parentheses refer to a list of references at the end of this standard.
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4.5 It is recognized that some modifications may be appropriate based on local or regional geographic conditions or upon the
specific character of the stranded oil.
5. General Considerations
5.1 Terrain conditions can be described in terms of the length, width, depth, distribution, quantity, and character of stranded oil.
Recognizing that a terrain segment can have distinct oiled zones, oiling conditions are documented on a zone-by-zone basis. The
six different types of oiling data are collected by direct measurement or direct visual estimates calibrated against existing scales
or indices. Standard definitions and descriptors of these data have been developed (Sections 6 and 7). Second-order applications
of the basic data are further used to aid response planning (Sections 8 and 9).
5.2 Descriptions of shoreline oiling conditions are typically referenced to the lateral (seaward to landward) shoreline zonation. The
location of the stranded oil within the intertidal zone affects operational access time and oil persistence.
5.2.1 Tidal zonation is described in terms of the supra-tidal, upper/mid/lower intertidal, and sub-tidal zones.
5.2.2 Non-tidal shoreline zonation is described in terms of the supra/upper/lower swash zone for lacustrine (lake) environments
and the over/upper/lower bank or midstream for riverine (river) environments.
5.2.3 Dry land terrain zonation can be described in terms of discrete areas of similar slope, substrate, and vegetation. Zonation
can also be described in terms of polygons that relate to areal changes in habitat type or oiling conditions, or both.
5.3 Oil persistence and the choice of cleanup options will be different for subsurface oil as opposed to surface oil. Descriptions
of shoreline oiling conditions should distinguish between the oiling of surface sediments from that on the subsurface sediments
(vertical zonation). On coarse sediment beaches, it can be difficult to differentiate the vertical boundaries. Fig. 1 illustrates an
approach for discriminating those boundaries.
5.4 For areas with fine sediments (that is, pebble, granule, sand, and mud), the subsurface layers begins at 5 cm below the surface.
If a pit were to reveal oiling in sand from the surface down to 20 cm, the upper 5 cm would be classified as surface oil and the
remainder as subsurface (Fig. 1). However, the oiled interval would still be shown as 0 to 20 cm.
5.5 For areas with coarse sediments (that is, cobble and boulder), the subsurface layers begin at the bottom of the surface material
(that is, where the top layer of cobbles or boulders contact the underlying layer of sediments).
5.6 Where asphalt pavement exists on the surface, the subsurface begins at the bottom of the pavement.
5.7 Definitions of the inorganic sediments based on size (diameter) are as follows:
Boulder >256-mm
Cobble 64 to 256-mm
Pebble4 to 64-mm
Granule 2 to 4-mm
Sand 0.06 to 2-mm
Mud/silt/clay <0.06-mm
5.8 Terms and abbreviations used to describe ice and snow conditions are as follows; (4-5)
Snow (SNW)
Frozen Swash (FSW)
Frozen Spray (FSP)
Ice Foot (IFT)
Ice-push Ridge (IPR)
Grounded Ice Floes (GFL)
Glacier Ice (GLC)
Fresh Water Ice (FWI)
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FIG. 1 Subsurface Boundaries for Various Beach Types (1, 4)
6. Description of Terrain Surface-Oiling
6.1 Oil Length—This refers to the length of oil impacted area.
6.1.1 The length should be described in numeric terms, as the actual measured or estimated value.
6.1.2 The length value must clearly indicate a reference to one of three different delineations:
6.1.2.1 The length of oil impacted area, which is the length of any single continuous oiling deposit and which is keyed to a specific
location;
6.1.2.2 The total length of oiled-affected area, which is the sum of the individual continuous oil zones; or
6.1.2.3 The total length of affected area, which is the total length of terrain in the spill path (the distance between the two extreme
strike points) and includes non-oiled sections of terrain as well as oiled terrain.
6.2 Oil Width—This refers to the average width of the oil band or oiled area
6.2.1 If multiple bands or areas occur, the width represents the sum of their widths
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6.2.2 The width should be described by the actual numeric (measured or estimated) value.
6.2.3 Where a descriptive expression is required or for the purpose of aggregation of the actual data, use a simplified classification
scheme.
6.2.3.1 On sloping shorelines, the width of the oiled band or oiled area is affected by the tidal range. Oil width can be categorized
based on tidal range or shoreline environment. (6)
Small tidal range Small tidal range
(< 2m), lake or (> 2m)
river shoreline
Small tidal range Large tidal range
(< 2m), lake or (> 2m)
river shoreline
Wide > 2 m >6 m
Medium 1–2 m 3 to 6 m
Narrow 0.3–1 m 0.5 to 3 m
Very narrow <0.3
...