UPDATE:
The press release from Goddard Space Flight Center showing sunglints suggesting they are all from the oil slick is wrong. Satellite specialist Dr. Roy Spencer writes in to show me a different MODIS/AQUA image from three days ago that shows clearly where the slick is and is not:
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=USA7.2010137.terra.2km
high res 1 km image here
To lend credence to Dr. Spencer’s claim, I searched and found another MODIS/AQUA image that shows a splotch of what looks exactly like what GSFC describes as the “gray-beige colored spill”, except this is all along the west coast of Florida. Clearly it is an optical effect, not an oil spill.
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/subsets/?subset=USA7.2010132.terra.2km.jpg
This suggests then that the GSFC press release has misidentified the optical effect as being the entire Gulf oil spill. The spill is there, as illustrated in the image at top, but it is not the entire “gray-beige colored” area seen in the GSFC press release image. – Anthony
============================================
UPDATE2: Skytruth has a better image which shows the extent, also taken on May 18th, but at much closer zoom level.
Envisat ASAR image, May 18, 2010. Image courtesy CSTARS.
===========================================================
There is also an overlay showing the sat image with Google Earth, that gives a better idea of scale, after the “Continue reading => ” line.
GSFC Via Eurekalert:
At 3 p.m. EDT on May 18, NASA’s Aqua satellite swept over the Gulf of Mexico oil spill from its vantage point in space and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument captured sunglints in a visible image of the spill.
The visible image showed three bright areas of sunglint within the area of the gray-beige colored spill. Sunglint is a mirror-like reflection of the sun off the water’s surface. In calm waters, the rounded image of the sun would be seen in a satellite image. However, the waves in the Gulf blurred the reflection and created an appearance of three bright areas in a line on the ocean’s surface.
According to the May 18 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) web update of the Deepwater Horizon incident, “satellite imagery on May 17 indicated that the main bulk of the oil is dozens of miles away from the Loop Current, but that a tendril of light oil has been transported down close to the Loop Current.”
The May 18 NOAA update also noted that “NOAA extended the boundaries of the closed fishing area in the Gulf into the northern portion of the loop current as a precautionary measure to ensure seafood from the Gulf will remain safe for consumers. The closed area is now slightly less than 19 percent of the Gulf of Mexico federal waters.”
====================================
Here is a Google Earth overlay view of the area shown in the photo:
Other image sizes available:
Satellite: Aqua – Pixel size: 1km – Alternate pixel size: 500m | 250m
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” Charles says:
May 20, 2010 at 10:46 am
I think an oil rig being blown to pieces and leaking 5000 + litres a day is a disaster whatever the satellite images show.”
Sigh. Units, units. You’re not the first one. 8 liters a second. 800000+ liters a day. 200000 gallons or so. 5000 barrels. 1 barrel = 156 liter. Please understand all numbers as order of magnitude only.
liter != gallon != barrel != metric ton.
And if you think 5000 liters of oil in an ocean is a catastrophe you must be one anxious guy.
Try http://www.google.com and enter “1 barrel in liter” or “800000 liter in barrel”; it’ll help you.
Also highly recommended for all journalists and NASA website hacks.
Call me slow, but I do not think this post says much about the size of the spill. The spill sure seems to be supported by the photos to me.
” DirkH says:
[…]
liter != gallon != barrel != metric ton.
”
Sorry, for everybody who doesn’t use C/C++-style languages:
liter not equal gallon not equal barrel not equal metric ton.
I live on Tampa Bay, an outlet of the Gulf of Mexico, and have seen the effects of previous oil spills on our gorgeous beaches. I may be a CAGW skeptic and appalled by some environmental fanatics, but I do not want ANY offshore drilling ANYWHERE near Florida or other states. Believe me, when the oil finally does show up, it will a nightmare. You haven’t lived till you’ve walked through “tar balls” covered in sand, and the sight of countless innocent animals coated in oil is absolutely horrifying. Of course, one must have the ability to empathize with animals before one can appreciate how awful it is.
There is no logical reason why the oil companies should not be drilling on dry land in the United States. From an environmental standpoint, it is WAY better for them to do so here than in primitive countries where there are no pollution controls, and in any event, this is one world, and pushing ones dirty industry to some other country doesn’t do anything for the globe. But, there is no excuse for drilling in our seas, no matter how much oil may be available. The potential damage is too great.
I believe the USA should push for international laws to prevent China, Cuba, and any other country from drilling off our coastlines. If they want to drill in salt water, let them drill in their own.
Of course, BP doesn’t have a fraction of money needed to cover the damages caused by its own incompetence, so the American people will be picking up the tab for clean-up, and private individuals and their insurers will get stuck with much of the rest. How many of these disasters will it take before the public says enough is enough?
Thanks for the photos and for debunking the usual alarmists misconstruction and misapprehensions. That’s one thing. The reality, however, is still hideous.
Has the web been scrubbed of the pictures of
Ken Salazar cleaning a pelican coated in oil?
I can’t find one!
The Oil Polution Act of 1990 authorizes the President to either federalize the spill or oversee the cleanup efforts, and in this case the President delegated authority to the Coast Guard.
Therefore, what we are looking at in the case of the Deep Horizons oil spill is the effectiveness of the Government’s response. Ben Lieberman asks, “How Have the Feds Done So Far?” and makes these three observations:
I just want to point out here that the larger the spill gets, the bigger the clean-up price tag grows.
So the Feds, who are responsible for the clean-up, will collect larger and larger sums as the oil spill grows worse.
Perhaps the problem is The Oil Polution Act of 1990!
That would be “Deepwater Horizon.” Thanks
Anthony:
With your update2 from Skytruth, we are in full agreement with the actual location of the oil spill.
Thanks for that update and correction.
The tragedy is the eleven people killed in the explosion. What I want to know is this: If oil in the water is dangerous, and more oil in the water is more dangerous, why does the EPA not let the Dutch “skimmer ships” operate and removes MOST of the spill oil? Yes, these ships don’t get all of it, but they get the vast majority of the spilled oil; surely it would be better for the environment (if that is you concern) to deal with say 10% of the spill as opposed to 100%/
modis is a great resource–
here the best link for anyone to get at modis-
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/?calendar
This particular article misinterprets modis pictures.
The first trick is to use this modis shot
which everyone avoids-
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010128/crefl1_143.A2010128165000-2010128165500.2km.jpg
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010128/crefl1_143.A2010128165000-2010128165500.500m.jpg\
this pic was from the 128 day of 2010 which is May 8–
18 days post spill —
it was taken early enough in the spill before the entire gulf became
a mish mash of oil and dispersant and sheens.
It clearly shows strands of oil and sheen reaching
the yucatan and obliterating yucatan north east coastal waters
especially, and also the east coast of the yucatan
–turning them from a beautiful blue green to a sickly
faded green with black streaks.
The other trick is to compare the BEFORE satellite shots
with the AFTER satellite shots from the gulf but also
from the bahamas where the oil has yet to reach–
blue green coastal water is one key ingredient–
it existed extensively in the before shots everywhere
but has disappeared from the latest gulf shots–
but remains constant in the bahamas(the control baseline pictures),
Also sheens, SUNGLINTS, and glares do not exist in the old
pre spill satellite shots —
so they cannot be caused by anything but oil and
DISPERSANT-
other origins are impossible.
Pre spill pictures–
beautiful blue green florida yucatan
cuba and florida keys day 2 jan 2 2010
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010002/crefl1_143.A2010002163500-2010002164000.1km.jpg
day 6 jan 6 2010
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?T100061610
day 68 march 9
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?T100681625
Post spill pictures–
yucatan now totally black may day 139
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010139/crefl1_143.A2010139163000-2010139163500.500m.jpg
Haiti port o prince may day 138
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010138/crefl1_143.A2010138155000-2010138155500.500m.jpg
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010130/crefl1_143.A2010130163500-2010130164000.1km.jpg
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010133/crefl1_143.A2010133153000-2010133153500.1km.jpg
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?T101321625
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/realtime/single.php?2010131/crefl1_143.A2010131154000-2010131154500.500m.jpg
note that the bahamas has so far
remained blue green and unaffected
by the spill–
why would everything else
but the bahamas
turn black grey brown?
Big wells pump 50 thousand barrels a day or more–
this is one of the biggest
any technical person claiming that
less than 50 thousand barrels is
coming out here is deliberately lying.
Stop denying that legitimate professional estimates
have been made of
200 thousand barrels a day and are being suppressed–
19 times bp estimate-
so their sippy straw
catches only 3 percent
of current production
http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/19/1638091/gulf-oil-spill-may-be-19-times.html#ixzz0oQPTGoHa
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2010/05/professor-of-mechanical-engineering.html
scientists stomped-but bp massaged–
http://www.godlikeproductions.com/forum1/message1070447/pg1
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/gulf-oil-slick-triples-in-size-in-48-hours-bp-tries-to-infringe-on-volunteer-rights/
http://www.care2.com/causes/environment/blog/bp-refuses-help-from-conservation-experts/
http://uruknet.de/?p=m66092
http://www.prisonplanet.com/just-like-911-oil-spill-responders-are-getting-sick-but-are-being-told-they-dont-need-any-safety-gear.html
http://www.care2.com/causes/tag/oil_spill/
http://www.innworldreport.net/inn/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2594:national&catid=35:domestic&Itemid=1
@ur momisugly Rhoda R
See Zeke the Sneak’s post.
The administration was extremely quick to assign blame and responsibility. Quick to act, not so much. Why? Perhaps it is easier to curse the darkness than to light a candle. Or, as Zeke suggested, perhaps it is a revenue seeking scheme. Somebody has to pay for my insurance!!!
“Anton says:
[…]
Of course, BP doesn’t have a fraction of money needed to cover the damages caused by its own incompetence, ”
BP is valued at 115 billion euros or about 135 bn USD; the cleanup, damages etc. might cost 3 to 5 billion as estimated by analysts. If BP doesn’t have it in cash they can issue shares or loan the money.
I said above it’s about 800000 liters a day, BP now says it’s slightly more so let’s make it 1 million liters a day – that’s 1000 metric tons or 25 40 ton trucks. Yes, 25 truckloads a day. It’s been going on for a month now and now nearly everything gets syphoned off so the amount won’t grow much, that makes a total of 30 * 25 = 750 truckloads oil spilled total.
As a comparison: The Emma Maersk class container ships carry 11000 20 foot containers or about 5500 40 foot containers and you’d need 5500 trucks to transport that.
Louisiana would have been much worse off had a big oil tanker spilled its guts.
Mike Odin:
A reason why only about 5000 barrels a day come out could be the fact that the BOP might have cinched the riser enough to reduce the flow; and that the oil has to make it through a crooked riser.
yucatan now totally black
Say what? I don’t think your links show what you think they show.
Oil is naturally released into the oceans all the time from undersea wells. I don’t have any references right now, but I suspect a Google search would quickly turn some up.
I suspect in geologic time, the gulf will clean this up quickly with no long-term harm done. Unfortunately, people depend so heavily on the gulf they’ll be severely impacted in the short term.
MikeEE
@Mike Odin
Crap, its worse than we thought! Look, I don’t mean to make light of the situation, I think its horrible, but doom and gloom doesn’t seem to be helpful moving forward. While the media may play it up, I don’t think this will go down as one of the worst environmental accidents in the history of mankind. I live in Alaska when the Exxon Valdez occurred. You’d be amazed at the resilience of nature. With the proper techniques, and containment, this should be just a blip in the natural history of the gulf.
Cheers
While watching the latest news about the BP Oil spill, a frightening thought came to mind: what if we can’t stop the oil? I mean, what happens if after all the measures to cap the pipe fail, (i.e., “Top Hat”, “Small Hat” and “Top Kill”). What then? An accident this problematic is new territory for BP. The oil pipeline is nearly a mile down on the ocean floor, accessible only by robots. Add on top of that the extreme pressure at which the oil is flowing out of the pipeline and there you have it: the perfect storm.
Moreover, scientists also claim that they’ve found an enormous plume of oil floating just under the surface of the ocean measuring approximately 10 miles long, 3 miles wide and 300 feet thick. (I’m no math genius, but I bet one of you reading this could figure out just how many barrels of oil that is…)
There are new estimates that the amount of oil spewing into the Gulf of Mexico is anywhere from 50,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil a day: that’s a far cry from BP’s estimated 5,000 barrels a day. If BP’s estimates are correct, the total amount of oil now in the Gulf would be approximately 150,000 barrels (or 6,300,000 gallons). That’s barely enough to fill 286 swimming pools: sixteen feet, by thirty-two feet, by eight and a half feet deep. That wouldn’t cover an area the size of New York City, let alone an area the size of Delaware. Obviously, the spill is much larger than we are being led to believe. If the leak can’t be stopped, in a year’s time, we’ll have roughly 18,250,000 barrels of oil (or 766,500,000 gallons) in our oceans, killing our marine and animal wildlife. Such a calamity would be environmentally and economically disastrous. Pray that BP and our government work fast to end this catastrophe.
http://www.calculateme.com/Volume/Barrels(Petroleum)/ToGallons.htm
http://blogs.howstuffworks.com/2010/05/17/latest-news-from-the-oil-spill-in-the-gulf-of-mexico-is-grim/
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/dailyloaf/2010/05/20/scientist-says-oil-spill-is-leaking-100000-barrels-of-oil-a-day-not-bps-estimate-of-5000/
This is nothing to do with warming, at least not yet, not sure if surface oil will damp or or feed a hurricane – warmer water but less evaporation – a wash? Anyhow I don’t see any need to play it down. Tarballs are washing on up on shore all over the place, nobody wants to eat seafood from what were very productive fisheries, and it’s only going get worse until it’s capped. Eivdently just one of these is one too many no matter how many thousands of deep water wells never leaked. No amount of money can make this like it didn’t happen.
The really scary thing is that with the current crop of people in power, it won’t be too much longer until we’re no longer able to enforce a 200 mile limit. When that time occurs, the Chinese, Russians, Libyans, Cubans, etc., will be able to drill right up to the 12 mile limit (if they deem to even recognize that). Of course, that’s a good thing. I have no problem with all that drilling by what will be the enterprising countries. The scary thing is that we won’t be in a position to enfore the 200 mile limit any more.
@DirkH – Litres, Gallons, Barrels – whatever the volume the point clearly missed you. The fact that it happen is the point. It’s no surprise that C# is your preferred language
Volume of the gulf: 2.4 x 10^6 cubic kilometers. I found that somewhere. Sweat the coastal marshes and the Mississippi, AL, and Panhandle beaches. But, the rest is mostly a lot of hype. As for the beaches, they were mostly ruined by developers thirty years ago. So, on second thought, just sweat the marshes.
…my 750 truckloads of oil would fit into a cube of 34*34*34 meter or about 100 ft side length BTW if densely packed, i assume a density of 0.82 kg/l…
The catastrophists here only want to push down the share price of BP i think… 😉
$3-5 B in cleanup and damage my butt. Try 10x that number. This is going to make beaches nasty and fisheries unfishable for years. Like I’d believe BP about how many liters it’s leaking. Like asking a fox how many chickens it ate. They already admitted they have no way of getting an accurate measure. Big underwater plumes yet to surface were found by research vessels sampling the depths. I’m no big oil company conspiracy nut but there are clearly times when they’re going to want to play down the numbers as much as they can. This is one of those times. We won’t know actual damages until we see how much tourism and sea harvest incomes have declined for however long it takes them to recover to pre-spill inflation-adjusted level. Figuring out how to tally and fairly distribute damages among a million individuals, small and large companies, who are adversely impacted by this along the gulf coast will be an enormous undertaking all by itself. This isn’t the coast of Alaska. It’s the Gulf coast and that makes it way way different in magnitude of economic damage.
MikeEE says:
May 20, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Oil is naturally released into the oceans all the time from undersea wells. I don’t have any references right now, but I suspect a Google search would quickly turn some up.
Natural seeps in US waters: 1,119,000 barrels every year from natural cracks in the seafloor.
Here are my policy suggestions:
Congressional inquiry into Federal response, and what it allowed BP to do before it stepped in
open ANWR where drilling will be safer
🙂
“Charles says:
May 20, 2010 at 2:49 pm
@DirkH – Litres, Gallons, Barrels – whatever the volume the point clearly missed you. The fact that it happen is the point. It’s no surprise that C# is your preferred language”
Let’s just say i wouldn’t give you a leading position in a risk assessment operation. And BTW, C and C++ are not C# even though i use all of them.