Hydrosphere Journal Entry
Hydrosphere Journal Entry
Oil Rig Explodes in Gulf of Mexico (April 24, 2010)
Satellite image shows location of oil platform that exploded near the Louisiana coast in the Gulf of Mexico. NASA.
A big oil rig exploded and then sank in the Gulf of Mexico this week. Rescuers have given up hope of finding eleven workers missing from the explosion alive. Disaster officials are bracing for what is fast becoming an environmental nightmare. Oil from the spill already covers an area of 400 square miles (1,000 square kilometers.) U.S. Coast Guard officials say the ruptured oil well on the seabed is gushing more than 40,000 gallons of oil per day into the water. The spill threatens the coast of Louisiana only 40 miles (65 km) away.
Robotic submarines probing the sea floor detected fresh oil shooting from the underwater well. Dozens of oil-skimming boats, barges, and other vessels were on the scene containing and scooping up oil on the surface, while the Coast Guard released chemical dispersents from planes. But the work was slowed by rough seas and stormy weather. Sealing the leak on the bottom of the ocean will prove to be even more challenging.
Oil harms all wildlife but is especially dangerous to sea birds. The sticky oil robs feathers of their ability to insulate from the cold. Birds can get sick from licking the toxic goo off their feathers. Oil can also make it difficult for them to fly, or cause them to lose buoyancy and drown.
