Experts Puzzled at Red Gulf Oil Slick This occurrence is highly unusual
One of the most defining traits of any oil spill is the fact that it's black. The tar and crude cover the surface of land or water in a thin, black layer, which causes a lot of damage, and also gives the slick its characteristic look. But this does not appear to be the case with the most recent disaster of this nature. The oil spill taking place in the Gulf of Mexico for the last month has covered the waters of the Atlantic Ocean with a reddish slick, which has left scientists puzzled. They infer that the mixing process currently taking place between water and oil must have something to do with this peculiar event, but a connection is not immediately visible, LiveScience reports.
“We believe that the reddish brown color is indicative of the formation of a water-in-oil emulsion, called a mousse. These [oil slicks] typically have colors other than black, but with this oil, the colors are fairly vivid. We still don't know the exact cause of the color change but it probably as something to do with the water/asphaltene interactions,” explains Louisiana State University professor emeritus Edward Overton, who is a member of the team conducting investigations into this issue. He adds that asphaltene compounds are essentially remnants of the green plant pigment called chlorophyll, and that the chemicals make up an important part of the crude oil.
Since April 20, when the Deepwater Horizon semi-submersible drilling rig exploded, killing 11, thousands of barrels of crude oil have been leaking into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The oil slick has extended considerably in the month that passed, and now threatens delicate coastal areas. Some say underwater plumes may have entered the Loop Current, which is a deep-water current that heads east, towards Florida, and then even further, into the Gulf Stream. Since April 22, when the rig sunk, British Petroleum, the company in charge of operating the platform, has been struggling to contain the situation with federal help, but thus far efforts have been in vain.
US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, in what was qualified as the harshest attack on BP since the crisis began, said that the federal government might push BP out of the way, and assume command of the clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. The official blasted BP for missing “deadline after deadline” in its efforts to seal the oil leaks. Currently, more than 5,000 barrels of crude are spewing into the Gulf every day, but these are only estimative numbers. The actual figure may be several times as high, given that researchers have still not identified the underwater plumes that were formed. These formations could be anywhere, and detecting them is very difficult without proper scientific studies of areas adjacent to the initial site of the accident
Since April 20, when the Deepwater Horizon semi-submersible drilling rig exploded, killing 11, thousands of barrels of crude oil have been leaking into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The oil slick has extended considerably in the month that passed, and now threatens delicate coastal areas. Some say underwater plumes may have entered the Loop Current, which is a deep-water current that heads east, towards Florida, and then even further, into the Gulf Stream. Since April 22, when the rig sunk, British Petroleum, the company in charge of operating the platform, has been struggling to contain the situation with federal help, but thus far efforts have been in vain.
US Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, in what was qualified as the harshest attack on BP since the crisis began, said that the federal government might push BP out of the way, and assume command of the clean-up efforts in the Gulf of Mexico. The official blasted BP for missing “deadline after deadline” in its efforts to seal the oil leaks. Currently, more than 5,000 barrels of crude are spewing into the Gulf every day, but these are only estimative numbers. The actual figure may be several times as high, given that researchers have still not identified the underwater plumes that were formed. These formations could be anywhere, and detecting them is very difficult without proper scientific studies of areas adjacent to the initial site of the accident
Comment
-
Comment by john on May 30, 2010 at 7:43pm
-
was it in the bible or a nostradomus prophecy that said "the waters of the earth shall run red w/ blood" ? something like that. May have been both, i'm not sure.
-
Comment by luggnutz on May 30, 2010 at 7:24pm
-
I will address this on the show tomorrow ( May 31, 2010, 1p.m.). It is blood! You don"t get it now, but you will!
"Destroying the New World Order"
THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SITE!
Latest Activity
- Top News
- Everything
"Hope you enjoyed your thanksgiving day. I've often thought it'll good if I could send…"
I joined Facebook after 5 years of suspension!!! It went as expected.
"Thats a mighty attempt lionhearted. The true art of perseverance so thumbs up!"
Who Were the Silver Ghosts and Fork Tailed Devils Over Germany in WWII?
The year is 1943 and the Germans are punishing the US Eighth Air Force during their daylight…See More
THE GREAT FLOOD Official Trailer (2026) Netflix | Global Disaster Movies 4K
🌊 A world pushed past the breaking point.In THE GREAT FLOOD (2026), rising oceans, collapsing cities, and unstoppable storms trigger a global disaster unlik...
Mothman Prophecies
When suddenly the universe looked downIt seemed everything came unwoundI wondered if my sanity was…See More
"Joined Facebook after a 5 year absence. One absolutely undeniable picture that Hunter was in!!!!"
The 100 Series Designated for SAC and a Possible WWIII
The “100 Series” as these fighter aircraft were labeled were a succession of Mach II capable…See More
Human Be-In - Full Program - 1/14/1967 - Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park (Official)
Human Be-In - Full ProgramRecorded Live: 1/14/1967 - Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park - San Francisco, CAMore Human Be-In at Music Vault: http://www.musicvault....
"So sad to see a nice place be ruined by its inhabitants.... It's that shitholeness spreading…"
"Jesus Christ this is more diabolical than just about anything I've studied even though I knew…"
"Less Prone Nothing wrong with the planet. It's the inhabitants who are the problem."
© 2025 Created by truth.
Powered by
You need to be a member of 12160 Social Network to add comments!
Join 12160 Social Network