Uploads from SkyTruth, tagged offshoredrilling

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Aqua Detail (with interpretation), July 28, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:30:42 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

This MODIS / Aqua satellite image taken at 2 pm Central time on July 28, 2010, shows oil slicks and sheen (encircled with orange line), that are likely attributable to the BP / Deepwater Horizon oil spill, spread out across 11,832 square miles (30,644 km2) in the Gulf of Mexico. Given the steady dissipation in the oil slick that we've observed on satellite imagery over the past few days, and reports from the Coast Guard and independent observers, we are assuming that most of this is very thin sheen.

We've marked the eastern edge of a persistent ocean-color anomaly with a dashed line; this anomaly may simply be related to the Mississippi River discharge, or could indicate an area where ocean chemistry has been affected by oil, dispersant, and/or dissolved methane from the spill and cleanup response.

Three small slicks attributable to natural oil and gas seeps are also marked.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - RADARSAT-2, July 28, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 19:29:46 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

RADARSAT-2 image (black-and-white) taken at 6:48 pm Central time July 28, 2010, superimposed on MODIS/Aqua image taken earlier that same day. The large dark area on the radar image is probably oil slick and sheen from the BP / Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Given the steady dissipation in the oil slick that we've observed over the past few days, we are assuming that most of this is actually very thin sheen.

Wind conditions throughout the area were ideal for slick and sheen detection on radar satellite imagery, ranging from 2 to 8 meters per second with minimal gusts. Weather satellite images taken at about the same time showed few clouds in the area and very low probability of rain.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2, July 26, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:03:09 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

RADARSAT-1 (right ) and RADARSAT-2 (left) satellite radar images taken July 26, 2010. Wind conditions (ranging from 3-6 meters per second) were nearly ideal for detecting oil slicks on radar imagery. Scattered dark patches of slick and sheen are spread across a wide area, but it appears that the oil slick created by the Macondo well blowout is steadily dissipating. No new oil can be found around the well site.

Backdrop (color) is a MODIS/Aqua image also taken on July 26.

Compare with www.flickr.com/photos/skytruth/4835566748/in/set-72157623....

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Cumulative Oil Slick Footprint, April 25 - July 16, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:01:19 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Graphic showing the cumulative oil slick footprint for the BP / Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northeast Gulf of Mexico. Created by overlaying all of the oil slicks mapped by SkyTruth on satellite images taken between April 25 and July 16, 2010.

Cumulatively, surface oil slicks and sheen observed on satellite images directly impacted 68,000 square miles of ocean - about as big as Oklahoma.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 (with interpretation), July 26, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:04:59 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

RADARSAT-1 (right ) and RADARSAT-2 (left) satellite radar images taken July 26, 2010. Wind conditions (ranging from 3-6 meters per second) were nearly ideal for detecting oil slicks on radar imagery. Scattered patches of slick and sheen (delineated with orange line) are spread across a wide area, but it appears that the oil slick created by the Macondo well blowout is steadily dissipating. No new oil can be found around the well site.

Backdrop (color) is a MODIS/Aqua image also taken on July 26.

Compare with www.flickr.com/photos/skytruth/4835560916/in/set-72157623....

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) Image, July 24, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 14:15:55 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

The center of circulation for tropical depression Bonnie was located about 15 miles (24 km) south-southeast of the Macondo well site when this CSK-1 radar satellite image (black-and-white) was taken, at 6:44 pm local time. Weather station 42364, on the Ram-Powell oil platform about 27 miles (43 km) northeast of the Macondo well, recorded sustained wind speed of 22 mph (10 m/s) at that time. A station on the Thunder Horse oil platform about 39 miles (63 km) south of the well recorded winds at 11 mph (5 m/s).

Radar images show the "roughness" of the ocean's surface, revealing the pattern of Bonnie's counterclockwise-circulating winds. The strongest winds are generally in the northeast quadrant of cyclones in the northern hemisphere. This is reflected by the overall gray tone in the radar image: the area of stronger winds north and east of the storm's center is brighter than the area to the south and west.

Two distinct storm bands are also apparent; these are lines of strong thunderstorms with gusty winds. A narrow line of oil slick is also visible - possibly related to the BP / Deepwater Horizon spill, although we think most of the slick and sheen from that spill is obscured on this radar image by the strong wind conditions.

The color backdrop is a MODIS / Aqua image taken the same day, July 24, at about 1 pm local time.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Terra and COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) Images, July 25, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 13:44:20 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

CSK radar (black-and-white) and MODIS / Terra (color) satellite images taken on July 25, 2010, show the effects of tropical depression Bonnie's passage on the oil slicks and sheen from the BP / Deepwater Horizon spill. No new oil is seen in the immediate vicinity of the well, which has been tightly capped since July 15. But remnants of the oil slick are visible around the Mississippi Delta.

The MODIS image also shows dozens of small oil slicks from natural oil and gas seeps. These seeps appear unusually active, possibly due to seafloor disturbance caused by Bonnie. A bright area of slicks or sheen between the spill-related oil slicks (orange line) and the area of active seeps (dashed red line) could be where oil from both sources is mingling.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Aqua Detail (with interpretation), July 21, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 15:44:06 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Fragmented slicks and sheen span 5,476 square miles (14,182 km2) in this MODIS / Aqua satellite image taken on July 21. The Macondo well has been capped for several days, and fresh oil is no longer apparent in the vicinity of the well site.

However, the large area of anomalous ocean color noted on a July 19 MODIS image is even more obvious. It shares spectral characteristics with the sediment-laden plume emerging from the Mississippi River, but it may also indicate changed water chemistry in the area affected by the spill - possibly due to oxygen depletion as a result of the elevated levels of methane (natural gas) dissolved in the water. The eastern edge of this anomaly is marked with a dashed brown line.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) Images, July 19, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:40:34 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Two COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) radar satellite images (black-and-white) taken at about 7-8 pm local time on July 19, 2010. Backdrop (color) is a MODIS / Aqua image taken the same day. Oil slicks and sheen appear spread out across 7,868 square miles (20,379 km2). This is almost twice as large as the area of slicks observed on satellite imagery from July 14.

The edge of the ocean-color anomaly seen on the same day's MODIS / Aqua image is shown for reference.

COSMO-SkyMed images courtesy CSTARS.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Aqua Detail (with interpretation), July 19, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:22:08 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Oil slicks and sheen appear through a complicated assortment of clouds and haze on this MODIS / Aqua satellite image taken at about 2pm local time on July 19, 2010. An area of anomalous ocean color appears to mirror the eastern edge of the area covered by surface oil slicks. This may be an indication of changed water chemistry in the area affected by the spill - possibly due to oxygen depletion as a result of the elevated levels of methane (natural gas) dissolved in the water.

Compare with the COSMO-SkyMed radar images taken later the same day.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Aqua Detail (with interpretation), July 14, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 20:47:42 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

The area of oil slicks and sheen appears greatly reduced in this MODIS / Aqua satellite image taken on July 14, 2010. Slicks cover approximately 3,786 square miles (9,805 km2). Persistent, moderately strong winds over the past few days (ranging from 7-20 miles per hour) may have dispersed thinner portions of the slick over much of the region.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Envisat ASAR Image, July 7, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:11:19 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

This satellite radar image taken by Envisat's ASAR sensor at 10:44pm local time on July 7 shows a large patch of oil extending north from the site of the leaking Macondo well, and an area of small slicks along the Mississippi shoreline.

A large dark area extending from Mobile Bay to beyond Panama City may include patchy oil slicks and sheen, as seen in this area on previous days. But it is also an area of calm winds; the surface wind speed was measured at Buoy 42012 at 1 meter per second, gusting to 2 m/s, at the time this image was acquired. That's on the low-end threshold for oil slick detection with radar imagery.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Terra Detail (with interpretation), July 4, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:46:34 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Thicker, upwelling oil is visible in the vicinity of the leaking Macondo well on this MODIS/Terra image taken on July 4. A strong, bright area of sunglint southeast of the well location might be oil slick or sheen; we've only delineated a small part of it (dashed orange line), unsure if it is indeed oil from the ongoing BP spill. As on the July 3 image, clouds may be obscuring large areas of oil slick on this date.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 (with interpretation), July 2, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:44:16 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

This radar satellite image (black and white) taken by the RADARSAT-2 satellite on July 2, 2010, show oil slicks and sheen extending across much of the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. The circular bright patterns typical of strong storm cells are prominent. A large dark patch that may be due to heavy rain, or slack wind at the edge of the storms, obscures the edges of the oil slick.

The color backdrop is a MODIS/Aqua satellite image taken on July 3.

RADARSAT images courtesy CSTARS.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Aqua Detail (with interpretation), July 3, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:45:27 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Patchy areas of oil slick are visible through the clouds on this MODIS/Aqua satellite image taken on July 3. Slicks reach west along the Louisiana coast beyond Atchafalaya Bay and Vermilion Bay, as far as the Rockefeller State Wildlife Refuge. Most of the oil slick is obscured by clouds to the north and east of the leaking well.

A circular pattern of thin oil slicks in the lower left is caused by a well-known group of natural oil and gas seeps in deep water at the edge of the continental shelf. These slicks appear to be caught in a small clockwise gyre or eddy.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - COSMO-SkyMed (CSK) Images, June 28, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:49:45 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Two CSK radar satellite images (black-and-white) are superimposed on a cloudy MODIS satellite image (color) taken June 28, 2010. The radar on the left was acquired at 6:56 pm, and the image to the right at 7:44 pm local time on June 28. The western half of the oil slick is visible on these radar images.

Weather data buoys in the vicinity recorded wind speeds of 6-11 meters/second (13-25 miles/hr) when these images were acquired, strong enough to break up areas of thin oil sheen and possibly render them undetectable. We infer that the dark areas enclosed within the orange line are thicker patches of oil slick.

COSMO-SkyMed images courtesy CSTARS.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 (with interpretation), June 27, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:44:39 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

Two radar satellite images (black and white) taken by the RADARSAT-1 and RADARSAT-2 satellites on June 27, 2010, show oil slicks and sheen extending across 19,112 square miles (49,500 km2) in the Gulf.

The radar images were acquired at 6:48 am (long image on right) and 6:52 pm (image on left) local time.

The color backdrop is a MODIS/Terra satellite image taken early afternoon on June 27. Thick clouds from Tropical Storm Alex, passing off to the south, are beginning to move into the area and are visible at lower left.

RADARSAT images courtesy CSTARS.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - Tropical Storm Alex, June 28, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 07:58:02 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

This GOES weather satellite image of the Gulf of Mexico shows Tropical Storm Alex at 6:45am Central time. Alex has just entered the southern Gulf after moving west across the Yucatan Peninsula. Large bands of clouds containing strong thunderstorms are moving into the northern Gulf and affecting the area of the leaking Macondo oil well, but Alex is forecast to move steadily northwest, making landfall around the Texas-Mexico border the morning of July 1.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Aqua Detail (with interpretation), June 26, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:07:21 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

This MODIS/Aqua satellite image, shot the afternoon of June 26, shows oil slick and sheen covering 23,049 square miles, and apparently impacting beaches on a long stretch of the Gulf coast, from Gulfport and Biloxi, Mississippi, to Destin, Florida in the east. To the west, the slick extends to Port Fourchon, Louisiana.

Freshly upwelling oil is apparent at the site of the leaking Macondo well, and is moving west in the immediate vicinity of the well.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill - MODIS/Terra Detail (with interpretation), June 25, 2010

nobody@flickr.com (SkyTruth) — Sun, 27 Jun 2010 13:08:21 -0700

SkyTruth posted a photo:

This MODIS/Terra satellite image shows oil slick and sheen covering 24,453 square miles on June 25, 2010. Oil slicks appear to impacting beaches from Gulfport, Mississippi to Pensacola, Florida.

Freshly upwelling oil is apparent at the site of the leaking Macondo well, and is moving west in the immediate vicinity of the well.