Explosion on Deepwater Drilling Rig Leads to Large Oil Slick in Gulf of Mexico

May 1, 2010 by trammellg1

Authors:

Gregory Trammell

Figures:

Legend:

First image shows the MODIS view of the Gulf of Mexico. The second image shows the area where the oil rig caught fire and sank, and left the initial oil slick.

Temporal Information:

Thu, 04/29/2010 - 16:55

Data Description:

The MODIS image MOD021KM.A2010119.1655.005.2010120021943.hdf (1) was taken on 29 April 2010 and ordered from the LAADS WEB website. Image was analyzed using bands 1, 3, and 4. (2)

Background:

On 20 April 2010, the deep water drilling rig Deepwater Horizon caught fire and sank, in doing so, millions of barrels of oil were dumped into the Gulf of Mexico. In addition to this, oil continued to flow from the well its self. The amount of oil flowing from the well has been estimated between 5,000 and 100,000+ barrels a day. (Estimates came from Ref 3, 4)

Relevance:

Past instances have shown the amount of destruction that oil can have on the environment. The oil kills animals and destroys their habitats, while also damaging the fishing and seafood industry. In addition to the destruction to the environment, the oil can become a real issue to the economy. Beaches that tourist regularly visit could be damaged, while the shipping industry can be hampered by the oil and the clean up effort. (3) The use of satellite imagery can allow scientist to track movement of an oil slick. In doing so, they can prepare coastal land and habitats for oil washing on shore.

Reference:

http://www.isprs.org/proceedings/XXXVII/congress/8_pdf/6_WG-VIII-6/08.pdf

http://ladsweb.nascom.nasa.gov/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/01/AR2010050102496.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100502/ts_nm/us_usa_rig_leak_9

Citation:

Explosion on Deepwater Drilling Rig Leads to Large Oil Slick in Gulf of Mexico, Gregory Trammell, Journal of Earth Science Phenomena, 2010, 33.

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