Ian
priscilla 1Gulf Oil Spill
May 17th 2010 01:49
Crude oil floats on the surface of the water
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill (also known as the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill or Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill) is a massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that started on April 20, 2010. The spill followed a blowout that caused an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig, which then sank off the coast of Louisiana. Eleven rig workers are missing and presumed dead; the explosion also injured 17 others.
Anchor handling tugs combat the fire on the Deepwater Horizon while the United States Coast Guard searches for missing crew.
The oil spill covers a surface area of at least 2,500 square miles (6,500 km2). The oil spill, originating from a deepwater oil well 5,000 feet (1,500 m) below sea level, is discharging an estimated 5–25 thousand barrels (210,000–1,100,000 US gallons; 790,000–4,000,000 litres) of crude oil daily. The spill is expected to eclipse the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill as the worst US oil disaster in history. Experts fear that it will result in an environmental disaster as the oil from the well site reaches the Gulf coast, damaging the Gulf of Mexico fishing industry, tourism industry, and habitat of hundreds of bird species.
The info-graphic indicates what's happening beneath the ocean's surface at the oil spill site.
click to enlarge
*source
Floating barriers called booms are being strategically placed in an effort to contain the spill and protect sensitive areas of coastline.
*These images and information sourced from this article on Newsweek.
Crude oil on the surface
*Above aerial images source.
*This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the WIkipedia page for Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
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