Major Study Charts Long-Lasting Oil Plume in Gulf

[Indigo_Girl]

Major Study Charts Long-Lasting Oil Plume in Gulf

By Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer © 2010 The Associated Press
Aug. 19, 2010, 11:51PM


WASHINGTON – QUOTE: A 22-mile-long (35-kilometre)invisible mist of oil is meandering far below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, where it will probably loiter for months or more, scientists reported Thursday in the first conclusive evidence of an underwater plume from the BP spill.

The most worrisome part is the slow pace at which the oil is breaking down in the cold, 40-degree water, making it a long-lasting but unseen threat to vulnerable marine life, experts said. END QUOTE.

Earlier, top federal officials said that oil from the spill was mostly ‘gone’ but study charts show an oil plume starting at 3 miles from the BP well and extending more than 20 miles, moving slowly at 4 miles per day, west-southwest. It is 3,000 – 4,000 feet below the surface, measures more than one mile wide and 650 feet from top to bottom. It is loaded with 1.8 millions gallons of toxic dispersant which is harmful to smaller fish and crustaceans, and could cause genetic problems even at low concentrations.

NOAA is very concerned about the impact of slow breakdown of the oil due to cooler water as it travels 3,000 feet below the surface. Scientists say that this slow breakdown will cause possibly years of tracking, and more “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico which is already experiencing them due to pollution.

Given the slow rate at which the oil is degrading in the cold water, Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia, and others say it is too early to even think about closing the books on the spill: QUOTE "The full environmental impacts of the spill will thus not be felt for some time."

read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7161078.html

........

It appears to me that even though encouraging words are spoken by BP and federal officials, NOAA remains deeply concerned about the long range effects we will suffer from the BP Oil Rig Explosion. Random oil plumes floating far below the surface, loaded with toxic dispersants, killing marine life and potentially harming humans while BP pays off Louisiana fishermen for loss of livelihood is not addressing the root causes and solutions of potentially the largest oil disaster in the history of our planet.

What do you think?

[TaxmanHog]

The earth will survive this incident, I would not be surprised if natural leakage occurs elsewhere, especially at the bottom of the oceans in tectonically active regions.

This man made leak will effect individuals of the gulf, they will have to suffer the immediate complications and the rest of of us will deal with the spin off issues.

[Motive]

I grew up in Corpus Christi, TX. Tar balls on the beach was very common...baby oil takes it right off...I've been eating Gulf Shrimp for most of my life, I'm not overly concerned about an "invisible oil plume".

I really like some of the comments at the bottom:


cassie79 wrote:
Wow! Scientists can find invisible oil! Maybe they can also locate some invisible money to pay for all of Barry's debacles??? And therefore let us poor schmucks off the hook?

[coolbreeze]

Major Study Charts Long-Lasting Oil Plume in Gulf

By Seth Borenstein AP Science Writer © 2010 The Associated Press
Aug. 19, 2010, 11:51PM


WASHINGTON – QUOTE: A 22-mile-long (35-kilometre)invisible mist of oil is meandering far below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, where it will probably loiter for months or more, scientists reported Thursday in the first conclusive evidence of an underwater plume from the BP spill.

The most worrisome part is the slow pace at which the oil is breaking down in the cold, 40-degree water, making it a long-lasting but unseen threat to vulnerable marine life, experts said. END QUOTE.

Earlier, top federal officials said that oil from the spill was mostly ‘gone’ but study charts show an oil plume starting at 3 miles from the BP well and extending more than 20 miles, moving slowly at 4 miles per day, west-southwest. It is 3,000 – 4,000 feet below the surface, measures more than one mile wide and 650 feet from top to bottom. It is loaded with 1.8 millions gallons of toxic dispersant which is harmful to smaller fish and crustaceans, and could cause genetic problems even at low concentrations.

NOAA is very concerned about the impact of slow breakdown of the oil due to cooler water as it travels 3,000 feet below the surface. Scientists say that this slow breakdown will cause possibly years of tracking, and more “dead zones” in the Gulf of Mexico which is already experiencing them due to pollution.

Given the slow rate at which the oil is degrading in the cold water, Samantha Joye of the University of Georgia, and others say it is too early to even think about closing the books on the spill: QUOTE "The full environmental impacts of the spill will thus not be felt for some time."

read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7161078.html

........

It appears to me that even though encouraging words are spoken by BP and federal officials, NOAA remains deeply concerned about the long range effects we will suffer from the BP Oil Rig Explosion. Random oil plumes floating far below the surface, loaded with toxic dispersants, killing marine life and potentially harming humans while BP pays off Louisiana fishermen for loss of livelihood is not addressing the root causes and solutions of potentially the largest oil disaster in the history of our planet.

What do you think?

I think anyone who believes the government's position that all Gulf seafood is oil free and safe might want to rethink their point of view from a logical perspective.

I think oil will be washing up for many more months. I think a strong hurricane churning up the gulf waters would be a big help.

I also think indigo-girl is a whackjob. What do yoy think?

[Dr Dave]

I think the same thing that I've thought since the beginning of this potential disaster; only God can help. Not Barack Obama, God!

If God wants it to be a disaster, it will be. Apparently, its just a warning shot so far.

Pray for a solution (pun intended).

[Indigo_Girl]

I think the same thing that I've thought since the beginning of this potential disaster; only God can help. Not Barack Obama, God! If God wants it to be a disaster, it will be. Apparently, its just a warning shot so far. Pray for a solution (pun intended).

Hello Dr. Dave:

1) Welcome to the Forum

2) I hope you realize that you are putting God's plans/desires as the root cause of every disaster on the planet without humankind having any responsibility in it...

That sounds like the former Bush Administration's credo....do the deeds, but refuse to take any responsibility for whatever happens...:eek:

[Remphoto]

The oil which was spilled was likened to spilling a 2 liter bottle of pop in a football arena which was filled to the top with water. I think the earth can clean up messes very well. BTW, where's all the smoke which was spewed by the volcano in Iceland? Haven't heard much about that recently.

[Jeb]

Do a little research indigo! The year after Valdez spill, which was heavy refined heating oil in a small area of water, they had the biggest fish catch in decades! Why you ask? Thanks for asking! The micro-organism they use to disperse are fish food!!! It is a fact that more than 120,000,000 barrels leak out of the ocean floor every single year since GOD created the earth. Light sweet crude in it's natural form is part of nature just like liberals are a part of Marxism!

[Remphoto]

IG, you need to get a broader education beyond the narrowly focused liberal philosophy you received from your college professors. I would suggest reading writings from such classic conservative thinkers as William F. Buckley, Thomas Sowell and Whitaker Chambers. Also Libertarian luminaries as Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman might challenge your belief system.

As previously mentioned, I dabbled in leftist ideology while in college because that was all that was (is) being taught. No other philosophies were tolerated. Thank God, I came across some balance to that as I grew older and wiser.
Last weekend I ran across a regular op-ed being written by one of my old professors who just cannot leave the 60's behind as I seem to remember him pontificating on this topic 35 years ago. Heaven knows how many young people he mislead with his pap. Here's an example you may like:

http://tribune-democrat.com/editorials/x519157422/War-on-drugs-A-senseless-battle-It-s-time-U-S-experiment-with-decriminalization-filling-up-prisons-isn-t-working

[Al the Auto Mechanic]

Last month,Orlando's channel 9 took a trip to one of the uninhabited islands that was oiled up by Valdez.A sea plane had to get them to it once they arrived.With one scoop from a shovel in the rocky-sandy shore,you could see the oil oozing out of the ground.
This oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico is a huge disaster.People can lie about it all they want,but it won't change how many decades it is going to take for partial recovery.Then there are all the new problems with the new strains of cancers and a couple of handfuls of assorted disorders that people will suffer in the years to come.
I seriously doubt that praying to God will help much of anything at all in situations like the Gulf disaster.

Obama told us he was taking full responsibility for the Gulf disaster,and he did a wonderful job capping the broken pipe.he's an amazing man of many feats he is!

[nelson]

There are repercussions whenever oil is leaked, and we'll have to deal with them. This is one of the consequences of using oil to the extent that we do.

There are many consequences of using oil that are rarely mentioned. So many that we forget the sheer volume of them. The stored energy in oil is what has shrunk the world. When natural disasters occur, the energy in oil allows people to rush aid almost instantly to the affected part of the world. It took us to the moon and back. It has also delivered billions of people to work and back for decades, allowing them to conceive/solve/invent/develop. Through harnessing oil the human condition has improved immensely. I can't author the volume of encyclopedias that would be necessary to describe all the benefits we have reaped from the energy stored in oil.

Although I have no environmental PhD, and I'm not supported by any government grants, I'm going to go out on a limb and say the benefits of using oil vastly outweigh the costs.

That doesn't mean we shouldn't take care. There's not one of us who doesn't believe in minimizing costs. And we don't know what the future holds; often the true consequences of our actions remain hidden for some time.

Let's assume, for the sake of argument, that our widespread dependence upon oil will have some sort of disastrous consequences. What would you tell the human charged with helping his fellow man and himself? Don't use oil to power the equipment that will grow more food and feed the hungry! Don't use oil to transport supplies or aid to your family, or someone else's?

Oil simply is. In the existence of humanity, oil happened... in a big way. It's a little late to deny that fact, and we won't be very constructive by bemoaning it, nor by seeking culpability. Who exactly is responsible for worldwide dependence upon oil? George Bush? As far as I know, neither he nor Dick Cheney invented oil. And today's oil executives didn't create the demand for it.

For some more than others, this Gulf oil leak is certainly frustrating. But why use this opportunity to cast aspersions? This leak is simply the figurative step back after we've collectively taken 5,000,000 steps forward. We're evolving. I drove to work this morning using the power of oil to propel a machine manufactured, developed and assembled using the same power. To some extent, these things are inevitable. So let's clean it up as best we can, and learn from it what we can.

On that note, I have not seen exhaustive press coverage or investigative research pressing into the cause of this leak. How can press coverage reverberate with leak hysteria for months, but show little apparent interest in how it happened in the first place? I think that reveals something about the coverage... something misleading. Just my opinion.

[Jeb]

How many of you have been to Alaska right where refined oil leaked out in to a bay? I have hunted there several times and stood on the shore and talked to the fishing and hunting guides. They had their best fish catch that following season due to the microbes in the dispersents. I live in the Panhandle and have been on the beaches and I can give you a firsthand report! Their is no epic disaster period. I also have firsthand knowledge of the scam which continues over this clean-up. I helped thousands of Vets get jobs in the "so called worst disaster" and they got 3 weeks and were laid off. Now they get unemployment until Hell freezes!
For God's sake we should know better than to spill this MSM BS! Why is this unrefined sweet crude that leaks out of the ocean floor year round 120,000,000 barrel per year, not considered a part of nature...uuh! To bash the God given gift of oil is stupid! If right this moment God took it all back you would be buck naked sitting on a dirt floor tapping rocks! Look around you and find out what is not made from oil! Not much! Damn, looking a gift horse in the mouth and bitching about it is literally biting the hand of God! Nuclear and Oil and clean burning coal is our answer...not pie in the sky. Once again, the day a tractor trailor truck carrying tons of food over the Rockies to the people on the other side on batteries I will kiss your ass! Think people! NYTimes article in 1910 was praising the electric car...just like today with the volt! How many years is that?:eek:

[Remphoto]

The worst part of the disaster was not the actual damage to the environment but to the perception from the overblown administration rhetoric. This damped tourism and the ban on drilling killed more jobs. The real issue in the Gulf Region is economic not environmental.

There is a bank in our area (Park National) which has 12% of its assets in a bank it owns in the Gulf Region. Because of the impact on tourism and the oil industry on top of real estate losses from the Obama Recession it is having severe problems which threaten to pull down its parent company.

http://www.zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/article/20100805/NEWS01/8050312/Gulf-Coast-s-woes-could-hit-Park-National-s-bottom-line

[TaxmanHog]

Electric transportation & other green energy solutions though pie in the sky at the moment & maybe over that last 100 years, is still a stimulant to our engineering forces, leave em be & continue the tinkering, at some point a revolution in technology will strike, and maybe then Mega-Volt 18-wheelers WILL transit the Rockies.

[Jeb]

Never happen Taxmanhog are it would have. But let's set that aside and querry me this...where does the power to charge these large rare elemental batteries come from...fairy dust? Does this power to charge these units not come from coal and petro fired powerplants. Stop and look at you electrical outlet, now just how in the sam hell did that power get there? As a nation, just our nation has spent billions over 100 years trying to defy Sir Issac Newtons basic laws of thermodynamics and could have actually followed them instead! Simply put, Taxman, splitting the atom was a gift from God just like oil. Newton new this and wrote about in his many books on the science in Genesis! While we can and do use electrical devices for their purposes such as local transport or shuttle work, but the laws laid down by Newton never change and as a guy that has reached his 11.14 1/4 mile w/1320cc stroked engine should accept certain realities! You will have to increase the stroke/power or drops some weight, both of which will only net you so much! Robbing from one source of power to create another is all we do as all the energy that God created and placed at our disposal never changes accept to follow the laws of thermodynamics...and run downward! Kind of sounds like the batteries in my electric golf cart!! Basic math and by the way it was the Bible believing Newton that gave us mathmatics! Wasting the engineers on a false and time tested energy source that survives solely on robbing from Peter to pay Paul...is futile!:coffee

[Motive]

I'm a firm believer in nuclear power...I've lived in close proximity to power plants, that put out enough electricity to power a small town, for years, on a small bit of Uranium.

I'd personally like to get away from OPEC and Chavez oil, and have them begging for change in the street...

[Remphoto]

Solar and wind energy show some long term promise though each has shortcomings and are not economically viable without subsidies. Also they will never totally replace fossil and nukes because output depends on sun and wind. Personally I'm with you motive-build the nukes.

[TaxmanHog]

Never happen Taxmanhog are it would have. ......... Wasting the engineers on a false and time tested energy source that survives solely on robbing from Peter to pay Paul...is futile!:coffee

Hey Jeb.....

Whether I attribute the genius of a scientist or engineer to GOD or their individual abilities is not important, the fact is that mankind HAS achieved much in 6000 years and I know we have far to go so I am not writing off the potential for the future because of past failures.

The remainder of your post, leads me to believe you think I'm an absolute idiot:rofl but I know that was not you're intent ;) .

Having studied electricity & electronics technology in my younger years, I have a firm grasp on how it all works, I am not saying that it's an all or nothing situation, hydrocarbon based energy will always have a place, I hope so, until I can get or make a warp engine driven drag bike or I loose that 60 pound. :D

If divine intervention is the answer, then it will happen when it is meant to be.

[Jeb]

Of course I don't think your an idiot...I think you are a fine man, sorry if you took it that way. However, I am a well educated man myself and have studied this issue in depth and find this one nagging and stubborn thing abouts facts...if it was economically and efficient it would have been invented in this nation and be in full use by now! I still have a copy of a very old Popular Mechanics mag that had flying cars and on the cover and predicted they would be universal by 1999. All our old movies and even the new ones show the electric car in full use by normal people, even the poor. I just flat do not see how it can benefit us to use electric vehicals when they require duel energy sources to run. Hydrogen was a far better idea that got cut by the very people pushing electric. This is still the greatest country on the planet and if it was viable it would and will be. But it is not a game changer if it has to subsidized by the friggin government as the electric and solar and wind are and have been for decades! I am result oriented and good intention don't mean much to me. I am sure of one fact though and when I got dropped off some place far away by a nuclear submarine...as a recom Marine, I new it would still have power 100 years after it came back and got me. No charging station on the battlefield! Let the market decide Taxmanhog!

[cajun]

does'nt look like wind power is the way to go either. Even T. boone Pickens plan fell apart. John deere is dumping there wind project..

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/deere-dumps-its-wind-unit-de-exc-2010-08-31

[MYCAR47562]

i like the idea of wind mills powered by wellfare recipient's and the other scum of the earth.... IRS employee's



lol

[Motive]

Don't even get me started on the deadbeats in America.

[TaxmanHog]

i like the idea of wind mills powered by wellfare recipient's and the other scum of the earth.... IRS employee's
lol

Feeling the love :rofl

[MYCAR47562]

im just trying to get you in better racing shape lol

[Jeb]

im just trying to get you in better racing shape lol

I Have been following Taxmanhog's times get better and better! Taxman, did you ever get that 1320 on a dyno as it must be kick some good number!

[TaxmanHog]

Rear wheel HP was around 128., working on my 60's & Reaction Times, also need to practice 11.50 index runs.

I will be going to the Rock in October to give the AHDRA boy's a run, hope to see a lot of VROD's as well as the Professional racers. Should be fun, any one here going?

[Jeb]

Rear wheel HP was around 128., working on my 60's & Reaction Times, also need to practice 11.50 index runs.

I will be going to the Rock in October to give the AHDRA boy's a run, hope to see a lot of VROD's as well as the Professional racers. Should be fun, any one here going?

I am proud to see you keeping our image bright! Go get em!:gun:

[TaxmanHog]

I am proud to see you keeping our image bright! Go get em!:gun:

Will do, went to a local open house today paid $10 for a 6 pull run on the DYNO, best pull was 133 RW/HP @ 87 FT/LBs:eek:

[Jeb]

Will do, went to a local open house today paid $10 for a 6 pull run on the DYNO, best pull was 133 RW/HP @ 87 FT/LBs:eek:

Dang, that is bad to the bone! Can't be the price either!:D