The data obtained are in qualitative agreement with the results of the previous field studies by Lehr et al. (1984a) and Elliot (1986). An example of the dependence of L in the downwind speed direction and film area S on time is presented in Figure 4. Data obtained at various wind speeds are shown in this figure by the symbols (°) – 1.6 m s− 1 – 3.3 m s− 1, (△) – 7.8 m s− 1, (⋄) – 11.7 m s− 1. The origin of the coordinates in Figure 4 corresponds to the moment when the vegetable oil was first spilt. As follows from Figure 4 the values of L at a fixed time point grow when the wind speed increases. MAPK inhibitor The same tendency is observed for areas of SF check details ( Figure 4b). We did not find an explicit dependence of the film slick axis l on wind speed. The values of the ratio L/l describing slick elongation at various times in the wind speed range from 9 to 11.7 m s− 1, from 6 to 9 m s− 1 and < 3.3 m s− 1 are shown in Figure 5 by the symbols (+), (⋄) and (°) respectively. The solid line shows the value of L/l = 1. As can be seen from Figure 5 at U < 3.6 m s− 1 the values of L/l change from 0.9 to 1.1. Thus under calm wind conditions SF is circular in shape. Film slick elongation

increases with a strengthening wind and at U ∼ 12 ms− 1 values of L/l are ∼ 18. Let us define the rate of semi-major axis growth in the downwind and upwind directions as udsp = ∂Ld/∂t and uupsp = ∂Lup/∂t respectively. Wind speed dependences of spreading rates in the downwind and upwind direction are presented in Figure 6 and denoted by the symbols (°) and (+) accordingly. Values of uupsp and udsp were calculated using all the data of each measurement and thus represent average values. Spreading rates at weak wind speeds varied from 0.01 to 0.02 m s− 1.

There is an increase of values of usp for moderate and strong winds. According to the results of the experiments, the observed spreading rate of the semi-major axis of the film at U = 12 m s− 1 is ∼ 4 times higher than the value typical of U = 1.6 m s− 1 – 3.6 m s− 1 (see Figure 6). Now we consider the growth of the surface film size under various wave conditions. The dependence of udsp on Hs is presented in Figure 7, where the symbols correspond Phosphatidylethanolamine N-methyltransferase to measurements at various inverse wave ages α = U/Cp (Cp – wave phase velocity of the spectral peak): (°) – α = 0.9–1.3; (+) – α = 2–3. The case denoted by (•) relates to calm wind conditions and to the presence of a swell. As follows from Figure 7, no explicit dependence of the SF spreading rate on Hs for the whole set of points is observed. In contrast, the tendency of udsp to increase with increasing wave height for the obtained data set is visible when α = 0.9–1.3 and α = 2–3. At the same time spreading rates for the case denoted by (•) measured at Hs = 0.62 m and U = 1.