Oil Spills

Darian Scorgie

Main IdeasAnatomy of a spillMajor oil spills ConsequencesWildlife damageClean up/ Prevention

What is an oil spill?  the release of a 

liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment

Mostly marine Human activity

Petroleum seeps Fractures, fissures,

outcrops

Exxon Valdez 1989 Tanker ran aground on Bligh Reef – Alaska 10.9 million gallons of 53 mil release in 3 hrs. 8 of 11 tanks damaged Major storm march 26

Hurricane Katrina> 100 oil

platforms destroyed

4 medium spills134 minor spillsLargest – Bass

Enterprises

Deepwater Horizon Exploded drilling rig – April 20, 2010

Methane gas 11 dead

Lasted 3 months 4.9 mil BBLs

210 mil gallons leaked Capped July 15 Contaminated 16,000 mi. of coastline

Deepwater Horizon

Wildlife Damages Animals may not avoid oil spills Oil coats animal’s bodies Oil that sticks to feathers and fur

causes: Hypothermia Decreased Buoyancy Increased predation Malnutrition Damage scent Internal health problems

Hypothermia Destroys insulation and waterproof

features Lanugo – wooly fur insulation

Buoyancy Oiled feathers at weight

Drowning of birds Fur seal pups

Unable to stay afloat with oiled fins

Increased Predation Inability to fight off predators

Matted feathers Oiled flippers

Causes low body temperature Metabolism tries to combat cold, body

weight diminishes Prey contamination

Malnutrition

Damage Scent Covers scent of

seal pups Rejection Abandonment Starvation

Internal Health Ingestion causes ulcersStomach bleedingInflammation and infection

CleanupOcean

Booms Floating

barriers Skimmers Biological Agents

Land High pressure

hoses Vacuum Trucks Shovels, Road

EquipmentWildlife

Dawn: Saving Wildlife Rescue Organizations Donations

Ocean Cleanup

o Boomo Containmento Diversiono Exclusion

LandCleanupHigh pressure hoses

Wildlife Cleanuphttp://animal.discovery.com/videos/jeff-corwin-reports-from-the-gulf-contaminated-sea-turtle.html

Prevention Offshore Oil Spill Prevention and

Response Reassessing training protocols, equipment

and procedures Plans for avoidance, control and shutdown

of offshore operations Federally mandated Drilling blowout preventer

Pipe rams and Shear rams

Expected Learning Outcomes What is an oil spill? What are 2 ways it affects wildlife? How can oil be cleaned from land? What is a BOP?

Sources http://www.eoearth.org/article/Exxon_Va

ldez_oil_spill?topic=58075 http://www.agiweb.org/geotimes/feb06/f

eature_oilspill.html http://news.nationalgeographic.com/ne

ws/2005/09/photogalleries/hurricane_katrina_pets/photo2.html

http://www.amsa.gov.au/marine_environment_protection/educational_resources_and_information/teachers/the_effects_of_oil_on_wildlife.asp

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/topic_subtopic_entry.php?RECORD_KEY%28entry_subtopic_topic%29=entry_id,subtopic_id,topic_id&entry_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=184&subtopic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=8&topic_id(entry_subtopic_topic)=1