Natural oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico visible from space
Images of distinctive slicks in the Gulf of Mexico collected by two orbital platforms are presented. An analytical expression is derived for the formation of floating slicks based on a parameterization of seafloor flow rate, downstream movement on the surface, half-life of floating oil, and threshold thickness for detection. From application of this equation to the lengths of the observed slicks, it is suggested that the slicks in the Atlantis photograph and in the TM image represent seepage rates of 2.2-30 cu m/1000 sq km s and 1.4-18 cu m/1000 sq km d, respectively. Generalizing to an annual rate suggests that total natural seepage in this region is of the order of at least 20,000 cu m/yr (120,000 barrels/yr).
Macdonald, I. R.↗