New Reports Contradict Government's Claims About Vanished Gulf Oil
http://www.aolnews.com/surge-desk/article/new-reports-contradict-governments-claims-about-vanished-gulf-oil/19596811
Dana Chivvis
(Aug. 17, 2010) -- Two new reports from different groups of academic scientists are providing a counterweight to the government's rosy assertions that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis is drawing to a close. One says that as much as 79 percent of the oil is still loose in the gulf; the other expresses the fear that oil on the ocean floor may not stay there but could resurface at a later time.
Researchers at the University of Georgia announced Monday that between 70 and 79 percent of the oil and its toxic byproducts are still present under the surface of the gulf. That finding stands in stark contrast to the calculations released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists during the first week of August, which say that only 26 percent of the spilled crude remains after the rest of it was collected or dispersed or naturally evaporated or dissolved.
The major dividing line between the government's and UGA's estimates (both are based on imperfect information, the Wall Street Journal points out) rests on the oil in those last two categories.
"One major misconception is that oil that has dissolved into water is gone and, therefore, harmless," UGA marine scientist Charles Hopkinson told the Journal. "The oil is still out there, and it will likely take years to completely degrade."
The UGA report adds that all the dissolved oil could not have evaporated because large plumes of oil exist under the ocean's surface. Only oil on the surface can evaporate into the atmosphere.
In the second report, to be released today, researchers at the University of South Florida say oil from the spill may have settled on the floor of an ocean canyon only 40 miles from the Florida Panhandle -- further east than original guesses put the oil. The oil, which sank to the bottom of the gulf when it was mixed with chemical dispersants, could resurface later. Whether or not that happens, its harmful effects will still be felt, the USF scientists argue.
"The dispersant is moving the oil down out of the surface and into the deeper waters, where it can affect phytoplankton and other marine life," John Paul, a marine microbiologist at USF, told CNN.
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is overseeing the federal spill response, said Monday that engineers are analyzing one remaining problem at the top of the BP well before proceeding with the final bottom kill. While conducting pressure tests last week, scientists discovered there may be some oil trapped in the well's annulus -- the space around the casing pipe in the well shaft. Now they have to be certain they can maintain pressure inside the well during the bottom kill before that step can proceed.
Dana Chivvis
(Aug. 17, 2010) -- Two new reports from different groups of academic scientists are providing a counterweight to the government's rosy assertions that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill crisis is drawing to a close. One says that as much as 79 percent of the oil is still loose in the gulf; the other expresses the fear that oil on the ocean floor may not stay there but could resurface at a later time.
Researchers at the University of Georgia announced Monday that between 70 and 79 percent of the oil and its toxic byproducts are still present under the surface of the gulf. That finding stands in stark contrast to the calculations released by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists during the first week of August, which say that only 26 percent of the spilled crude remains after the rest of it was collected or dispersed or naturally evaporated or dissolved.
The major dividing line between the government's and UGA's estimates (both are based on imperfect information, the Wall Street Journal points out) rests on the oil in those last two categories.
"One major misconception is that oil that has dissolved into water is gone and, therefore, harmless," UGA marine scientist Charles Hopkinson told the Journal. "The oil is still out there, and it will likely take years to completely degrade."
The UGA report adds that all the dissolved oil could not have evaporated because large plumes of oil exist under the ocean's surface. Only oil on the surface can evaporate into the atmosphere.
In the second report, to be released today, researchers at the University of South Florida say oil from the spill may have settled on the floor of an ocean canyon only 40 miles from the Florida Panhandle -- further east than original guesses put the oil. The oil, which sank to the bottom of the gulf when it was mixed with chemical dispersants, could resurface later. Whether or not that happens, its harmful effects will still be felt, the USF scientists argue.
"The dispersant is moving the oil down out of the surface and into the deeper waters, where it can affect phytoplankton and other marine life," John Paul, a marine microbiologist at USF, told CNN.
Retired Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen, who is overseeing the federal spill response, said Monday that engineers are analyzing one remaining problem at the top of the BP well before proceeding with the final bottom kill. While conducting pressure tests last week, scientists discovered there may be some oil trapped in the well's annulus -- the space around the casing pipe in the well shaft. Now they have to be certain they can maintain pressure inside the well during the bottom kill before that step can proceed.