Series: Oil Spills

For the next few posts, I will be talking about subjects that I have become familiar with in my job: Oil Spills. Where they go, what happens to the ecosystem, the science behind response and response equipment, etcetera.

Keep in mind throughout the series that all the elements of oil spills are complex and variable; like fingerprints, no two oil spills are alike, even if they are in the exact same location. As I write and publish each of these posts, I will update this post with links to the posts that are part of the series. As an introduction, here are some pictures:

"This is a radar image of an offshore drilling field about 150 km (93 miles) west of Bombay, India, in the Arabian Sea. The dark streaks are extensive oil slicks surrounding many of the drilling platforms, which appear as bright white spots."

 Source: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/radar/sircxsar//oilsk.html

The EXXON VALDEZ and the oil spill caused by the vessel's collision with Bligh Reef in1989.

Clean-up during the Exxon Valdez spill...this technique was not always better then leaving the oil in place, which I will address when I post about mechanical clean-up techniques.

This is a sattelite image of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, taken days after the intial oil-rig explosion in April, 2010. This turned into the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history. Photo from The Global Herald

Disclaimer: Any views and/or opinions expressed in The Masqerading Scientist are solely those of the author and not of the U.S. Coast Guard or any other U.S. federal agency. Thank you!

Plan to Save the Whales

This is a guest blog post written and illustrated by my daughter, Lily. She is 9 years old and has a passion for these wonderful creatures. These views are not all necessarily the views of anyone BUT a wonderful and curious little girl, so please, Enjoy!

Plan to Save the Whales

You know, lots of people love whales and they love to see whales; but the whales are endangered. To keep up the fun of whale watching, we need to do something before they are extinct.
Easy Home ways to save the whales:

• Cool down the earth by biking or walking to places that aren't far away
• Turn off electronics when not in use
• When you go to the bathroom, don't use a lot of toilet paper, because everything that goes down the toilet or drain ends up in the ocean
• Take short showers and don't make them that hot.

Whales sometimes get beached. So here is how you can save them if they do. If the whale is light enough, put wet blankets over it and wait for a helicopter to pick up the whale and move it back to the ocean. If the wale is like a Sperm Whale or a Blue Whale, put wet blankets on it and wait for the tide to come in and quickly pull off the blankets.

So keep your ocean clean and don't allow whaling!

References:
Mom & Dad propaganda

Briarcrest Elementary 3rd Grade Class