Frequently Asked Questions About ADIOS2

Here are answers to questions about development, updating, installing, and using OR&R's oil weathering model, ADIOS2.

Q. I'm having trouble viewing the ADIOS2 manual on my Windows-based computer.

A. For help with this issue, contact the ADIOS Specialist.

Q. Does ADIOS2 have any bugs?

A. No. An earlier ADIOS version contained the following bug, which has been corrected:

Some ADIOS2 estimates of initial benzene concentration were too high by two orders of magnitude. That is, ADIOS reported a benzene concentration of 200 ppm when it should have reported a concentration of 2 ppm. The bug was manifested only if the ADIOS2 oil properties library did not include an initial benzene fraction in the selected oil. It was the default estimation routine which had the bug. To check whether ADIOS2 has an initial benzene fraction value for an oil of interest: (1) select that oil from the oils and products list, (2) click Oil Information, (3) click the More Properties tab, and then (4) see whether there's a value for "benzene" (if not, "--" appears).

Q. In Windows, where are my saved ADIOS files stored?

A. In Windows 2000/XP, your saved ADIOS files (ADIOS scenarios, oil budget table, custom oil library, etc.) are stored in the ADIOS application directory (C:/Program Files/ADIOS2) or in the "My Documents" folder (C:/Documents and Settings/{user name}/My Documents). In Windows Vista/7, they are stored in the "Documents" directory (C:/Users/{user name}/Documents).

Q. In Windows, where can I find ADIOS work/output files, such as dump (.dmp) files, PC volume fraction output (VolFrac.txt) and slick area output (SlickArea.txt)?

A. In Windows 2000/XP, ADIOS puts work/output files in the application directory (C:/Program Files/ADIOS2). In Windows Vista/7, you can find those files in this directory: Users/{user name}/AppData/Local/Virtual Store/Program Files (x86)/ADIOS2. Note: To see "AppData," you must enable viewing of hidden files and folders in the Control Panel (Folder Options > View).

Q. I'm running ADIOS2 in Windows XP and got the error message, "Core: Cannot create a dump file" (or "An error occurred while attempting to save changes to the Custom Oil Library"). What should I do?

A. Check if appropriate permissions are set for the ADIOS2 application directory in Windows XP. Open Windows Explorer and locate the ADIOS2 folder (C:/Program Files/ADIOS2). Right-click the folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab. Make sure it allows you to Read/Write/Execute/Modify/List Folder Contents.

Q. Can you tell me about the algorithms that ADIOS2 uses to make its predictions?

A. You can find this information in the ADIOS2 Help topics, under Program Structure. You also might want to read the following reference:

Lehr, W., D. Wesley, D. Simecek-Beatty, R. Jones, G. Kachook, and J. Lankford. 2000. Algorithm and interface modifications of the NOAA oil spill behavior model. Pp. 525-540. In Proceedings of the Twenty-Third Arctic and Marine Oilspill Program (AMOP) Technical Seminar, June 14-16, 2000, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Volume 2. Ottawa, Ontario, Canada: Environment Canada.