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New Study Indicates BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill of 2010 Was More Devastating
Nearly a decade after the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, a new study reports that the damage inflicted is much more devastating than originally thought. New findings from the University of Miami showed previously unknown 'invisible oil' that stretched much further than the original satellite imagery detected. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is considered one of the worst environmental disasters in US history, and this new information reveals that 30% of the pollution was never accounted for.
The University of Miami used computer simulations that consider factors such as oil evaporation and ocean currents to trace the expansion of the oil unaccounted for from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The technology used today indicates that the satellite imagery used in 2010 overlooked 30% of the hazardous pollution. Oil with high concentrations are visible when using satellite imagery, however, it did not recognize areas infected with oil of low concentrations. A higher concentration of oil implicates a greater risk to marine creatures, but what the study found was that although the oil recognized had undetectable lower concentration levels it still posed a risk to marine wildlife. The invisible oil has been found to have seeped out of the boundaries for fishery closures, reaching the Texas Shore, the Florida Keys, and the coast of Tampa.
The 2010 oil spill directly impacted marine wildlife as it flooded a large majority of the Gulf of Mexico, a habit for many marine creatures. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has contributed to the largest dolphin die-off in the Gulf of Mexico to date. Although cleanup crews were assigned to help dissipate the damage, the study introduces new implications that were overlooked in 2010. The new technology used by the University of Miami could lead to greater research and assessment tactics for possible, future oil spills.
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