Invisible oil beyond the Deepwater Horizon satellite footprint
| Autor: | Matthew M. Alloy, Natalie Perlin, Igal Berenshtein, Steve Murawski, Samantha B. Joye, Claire B. Paris |
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| Rok vydání: | 2020 |
| Předmět: |
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
genetic processes Environmental Studies Fishing information science 010501 environmental sciences 01 natural sciences Footprint chemistry.chemical_compound Oil concentration health care economics and organizations Research Articles 0105 earth and related environmental sciences Multidisciplinary Ecology SciAdv r-articles humanities Fishery chemistry Deepwater horizon Oil spill health occupations Petroleum Environmental science Satellite Spatial extent Research Article |
| Zdroj: | Science Advances |
| ISSN: | 2375-2548 |
| Popis: | A portion of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill extended beyond the satellite footprint and contained toxic oil concentrations. Major oil spills are catastrophic events that immensely affect the environment and society, yet determining their spatial extent is a highly complex task. During the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) blowout, ~149,000 km2 of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) was covered by oil slicks and vast areas of the Gulf were closed for fishing. Yet, the satellite footprint does not necessarily capture the entire oil spill extent. Here, we use in situ observations and oil spill transport modeling to examine the full extent of the DWH spill, focusing on toxic-to-biota (i.e., marine organisms) oil concentration ranges. We demonstrate that large areas of the GoM were exposed to invisible and toxic oil that extended beyond the boundaries of the satellite footprint and the fishery closures. With a global increase in petroleum production–related activities, a careful assessment of oil spills’ full extent is necessary to maximize environmental and public safety. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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