See inset view below.
On April 29, the MODIS image on the Terra satellite captured a wide-view natural-color image of the oil slick (outlined in white) just off the Louisiana coast. The oil slick appears as dull gray interlocking comma shapes, one opaque and the other nearly transparent. Sunglint — the mirror-like reflection of the sun off the water — enhances the oil slick’s visibility. The northwestern tip of the oil slick almost touches the Mississippi Delta. Credit: NASA/Earth Observatory/Jesse Allen, using data provided courtesy of the University of Wisconsin’s Space Science and Engineering Center MODIS Direct Broadcast system.
NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites are helping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) keep tabs on the extent of the recent Gulf oil spill with satellite images from time to time. NOAA is the lead agency on oil spills and uses airplane fly-overs to assess oil spill extent.
A semisubmersible drilling platform called the Deepwater Horizon located about 50 miles southeast of the Mississippi Delta experienced a fire and explosion at approximately 11 p.m. CDT on April 20. Subsequently, oil began spilling out into the Gulf of Mexico and efforts to contain the spill continue today. NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellite imagery has captured the spill in between cloudy days.
NOAA used data from the Moderate Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument from the Terra satellite on April 26, 27 and 29 to capture the extent of the oil spill, which measured 600-square-miles. The MODIS instrument flies aboard both the Terra and Aqua satellites.
This satellite image from NASA’s Terra satellite on April 27 at 12:05 CDT shows the outline and extent of the oil slick from the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform. The red dot represents the platform. The coasts of Mississippi and Alabama appear at the top of the image. Credit: NOAA/NASA
› Larger image In the satellite image from April 27 at 12:05 p.m. CDT the MODIS image showed that the oil slick was continuing to emanate from the spill location. Individual slicks lay just north of 29 degrees and zero minutes north, where they have been noted in the days before. Oil had spread further east and the edge of the slick passed 87 degrees and 30 minutes west compared to the MODIS image taken on April 26. The April 26 satellite image came from NASA’s Aqua satellite.
On April 29, the MODIS image on the Terra satellite captured a natural-color image of the oil slick just off the Louisiana coast. The oil slick appeared as dull gray interlocking comma shapes, one opaque and the other nearly transparent. The northwestern tip of the oil slick almost touches the Mississippi Delta.
Deepwater Horizon had more than120 crew aboard and contained an estimated to 17,000 barrels of oil (700,000 gallons) of number two fuel oil or marine diesel fuel.
Today, April 30, NOAA declared the Deepwater Horizon incident “a Spill of National Significance (SONS).” A SONS is defined as, “a spill that, due to its severity, size, location, actual or potential impact on the public health and welfare or the environment, or the necessary response effort, is so complex that it requires extraordinary coordination of federal, state, local, and responsible party resources to contain and clean up the discharge” and allows greater federal involvement. NOAA’s estimated release rate of oil spilling into the Gulf is estimated at 5,000 barrels (210,000 gallons) per day based on surface observations and reports of a newly discovered leak in the damaged piping on the sea floor.
NOAA reported on April 29 that dispersants are still being aggressively applied to the oil spill and over 100,000 gallons have been applied. NOAA’s test burn late yesterday was successful and approximately 100 barrels of oil were burned in about 45 minutes. NOAA is flying planes over the area and using NASA satellite imagery from the Terra and Aqua satellites to monitor the spill.
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Thanks Pat and Curiousgeorge for the comments.
The issues are complex and its tough not to speculate without facts. Other then the fact that they are dumping dispersant chemicals on the spill, information related to the nature of the dispersants wasn’t widely released.
Here’s a link posted on the other blog — White House Press release.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/04/30/response-oil-spill-so-far
Despite plan, not a single fire boom on hand on Gulf Coast at time of oil spill
http://blog.al.com/live/2010/05/fire_boom_oil_spill_raines.html
§300.324 Requires the OSC to notify the National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC) in the event of a worst case discharges, defined as the largest foreseeable discharge in adverse weather conditions. The NSFCC coordinates the acquisition of needed response personnel and equipment. The OSC also must require implementation of the worst case portion of the tank vessel and Facility Response Plans and the Area Contingency Plan.
Overview
The National Oil and Hazardous Substances Pollution Contingency Plan, more commonly called the National Contingency Plan or NCP, is the federal government’s blueprint for responding to both oil spills and hazardous substance releases. The National Contingency Plan is the result of our country’s efforts to develop a national response capability and promote overall coordination among the hierarchy of responders and contingency plans.
The first National Contingency Plan was developed and published in 1968 in response to a massive oil spill from the oil tanker Torrey Canyon off the coast of England the year before. More than 37 million gallons of crude oil spilled into the water, causing massive environmental damage. To avoid the problems faced by response officials involved in this incident, U.S. officials developed a coordinated approach to cope with potential spills in U.S. waters. The 1968 plan provided the first comprehensive system of accident reporting, spill containment, and cleanup, and established a response headquarters, a national reaction team, and regional reaction teams (precursors to the current National Response Team and Regional Response Teams).
http://www.epa.gov/emergencies/content/lawsregs/ncpover.htm
Someone tell the EPA that they can shut down porn surfing and do their work. The fund is near 2 billion dollars.
First, I would like to thank the oil industry workers, for their insight into what might have happened re: the “failsafe” valve or valving that did not work. The press coverage and getting any real insight & feedback has been a farce! Back in 1985, in Canada, we had the Ocean Ranger disaster, where a rig capsized and sank. I don’t recall us having do deal with an oil spill of this magnitude. Can someone inform us as to the difference between the two events.
this is all of our faults for not understanding how our planet works , how crude oil is used by this ship we call earth . all our hand are covered with oil. we should have put the oil pipe down when blood was spilled over it, we have other resources that are far more earth freindly. we are being used to destroy our own planet. look at the doc. the charcoal people how they used the natives of the rain forrest to destry thier own home . this is deeper then money, they dont need money ,they print it , please think !!!! please leave the oil pipe (crack pipe) alone . i know, they have us so dependent upon them. but we must walk away while we still can . peace and love creativesuns of earth , the stolen sistership
University scientists from all along the Gulf Coast have reported findings of extensive plumes beneath the surface; Tony Hayward says they aren’t there. Cleanup workers are getting sick every day. Before they go to the hospital, BP gives them a couple of showers and keeps their clothing. Tony Hayward says it must be food poisoning, the dispersants are safe.
In an earlier post, Pat Moffitt says that the dispersants are doing their job and that natural weathering will eliminate most of the adverse effects of the leak and the wetlands have an amazing ability to heal themselves. I’d love to believe that, but the oil is still leaking and the impact is just beginning to be felt. Those loop currents in the Gulf are almost as variable as the wind. The Gulf Loop itself is pretty constant (sort of like the jet stream), but its general shape and size vary constantly. The outer eddies and contact currents change daily. They will change direction, shape and size, even without a hurricane. I have to believe that this oil will eventually land on beaches all around the Gulf. It’s already been verified in some of the interior lakes and bays of Louisiana after one month of leaking.
For the sake of argument, let’s say the oil stops spreading within six months after the leak is stopped. How long before the wetlands heal themselves? Ten years? Twenty years? By that time, I won’t be able to launch my flatboat without help.