Massive oil plume discovered in the Gulf

BP and the US Government have been telling us how the oil has mostly, if not completely, gone away. It would be great if in fact the oil had gone away though we all know that's not the case and the article below explains where at least some of the oil has gone.

Bacteria has "eaten" some of the oil while dispersants have dispersed some. Notice I did not say the dispersants have eliminated the oil because they only break the oil into smaller pieces which are then beyond recovery and still a danger to marine life.

In my opinion the US government needs to stop protecting oil companies and serve the people through proper oversight and enforcement. BP needs to correct the way they are handling the situation. Proper disposal of the skimmed oil and properly rescuing and rehabbing affected marine life (best to support agencies with knowledge in that area).

The tragedy is only made worse by the inactions and inappropriate actions of the government and BP. The secrecy needs to end.

Massive oil plume discovered in the Gulf

Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have detected a plume of hydrocarbons that is at least 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, reports a study published in Science.

The 1.2-mile-wide, 650-foot-high plume of trapped hydrocarbons provides a clue on where all the oil has gone as oil slicks on the surface disappear.

"These results indicate that efforts to book keep where the oil went must now include this plume," said Christopher Reddy, a WHOI marine geochemist and oil spill expert and one of the authors of the study, in a statement.

The findings are based on 57,000 discrete chemical analyses measured in real time using an autonomous underwater vehicle and a type of underwater mass spectrometer known as TETHYS (Tethered Yearlong Spectrometer) during a June 19-28 scientific cruise aboard the R/V Endeavor. The R/V Endeavor is owned by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and operated by the University of Rhode Island.

"“We've shown conclusively not only that a plume exists, but also defined its origin and near-field structure," said WHOI's Richard Camilli, leader of the research expedition and lead author of the paper. "Until now, these have been treated as a theoretical matter in the literature."

The scientists found that the plume is degrading "relatively slowly" meaning that it "will persist for some time," according to the press statement.

"Many people speculated that subsurface oil droplets were being easily biodegraded," said Camilli. "Well, we didn’t find that. We found it was still there."

The spill, which started after a well blowout on April 20, 2010, is estimated by the government at 4.9 million barrels, the largest in U.S. history.

I saw something on this the other day. It showed the massive amount of oil in the water column but not on the surface. This out of site out of mind BS needs to stop. Oil just doesn't disapear and hopefully the american people are smarter then that.

"...more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the Gulf of Mexico, a result of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill,..."

that's the whole friggin' problem....it's hidden below!!!! ....do they really expect us to believe that it disappeared?! ...and the media of course isn't picking up on this either ...too much work for them when they have to get experts to prove it's still here rather than seeing it...maybe if they had a few more devastating photos like the one shown they might be interested in reporting the truth!!!

Originally Posted by billrob71

.... This out of site out of mind BS needs to stop. Oil just doesn't disapear and hopefully the american people are smarter then that.

News said the plume was 21 miles long ,,,,I think it said it was 265 ft thick and moving south west at appx 0.017 mph somethng about several miles wide, thats a lot of oil!

i don't get the issue. maybe i am dumb but the article says:
The findings are based on 57,000 discrete chemical analyses measured in real time using an autonomous underwater vehicle and a type of underwater mass spectrometer known as TETHYS (Tethered Yearlong Spectrometer) during a June 19-28 scientific cruise aboard the R/V Endeavor.
the oil was flowing freely from the pipe was it not? in june?

Originally Posted by shmoliken

i don't get the issue. maybe i am dumb but the article says:
The findings are based on 57,000 discrete chemical analyses measured in real time using an autonomous underwater vehicle and a type of underwater mass spectrometer known as TETHYS (Tethered Yearlong Spectrometer) during a June 19-28 scientific cruise aboard the R/V Endeavor.
the oil was flowing freely from the pipe was it not? in june?

Yes this is when the hidden plume was first found. Since that time it has not magically disappeared as the media is saying (being fed my BP and Gov). The problem as noted in the below quote is that the plume found was not visible though still had the toxic chemical properties.

To truly find, track, and determine the true severity of this spill there would need to be further water testing throughout the Gulf.

Again some of the oil has been eaten by bacteria. The majority is likely still out there in some form that the marine life still has to contend with.

A 22-mile long plume of oil hovers deep below the surface and will likely remain for several months, scientists said in a study released Thursday.


Researchers are concerned that the oil, which is floating of 3,000 to 4,000 feet below the surface, is breaking down very slowly because of the chilly, 40-degree temperatures at that depth.

The Woods Hole researchers tracked the oil and located the plume at the end of June.

Since then, federal officials say the plume has broken apart, though admittedly, not as fast as they previously thought.

Government scientists are "working furiously" to figure out exactly how quickly the oil is degrading, the NOAA head Jane Lubchenco said, adding the administration was "very concerned about the impact" caused by oil below the surface.

According to the scientists, the oil trapped in the plume is crystal clear and odorless.

"The water samples when we were right in the plume look like spring water," Richard Camilli, the study's chief author, said. "You certainly didn't see any oil droplets and you certainly didn't smell it."

Um if its clear and odorless its not oil...sorry. Perhaps a parafin. Oil is lighter than water, period. For it to be suspended in the water column makes little to no sense unless its a by product from the dispersants and I am far from a expert on that subject. Damn BP and their conspiracys..

well I hope you don't take offense or anything but I'm going to go with the experts. I can see how oil can be below the surface. Have you ever mixed oil and water? The oil will go below the surface. Perhaps that's what's happening.

To my knowledge the scientists are testing for hydrocarbons,not just specifically oil. The crude has been altered into many compounds with the addition of the core-exit dispersant.Hexane and Benzene could be found within the water column as they are considered liquids.

It was just a matter of time before this tid bit of info came out to the public. I did home schooling a number of years back for Forestry and conservation so I learned a bit about the natural convection that happens in ALL bodies of water. This info is also learned in JR high and High school.

It is a subject that most people hear and then forget. Being a sailor and paying attention to my classes I understand how the convection works. Forgive me but I will now give a little science class to those that do not understand how it works.

As we all know warm air rises. The same is true for water. As the southern oceans warm the water rises to the surface. The water is replaced deeper down by water that is cooler and is from the north. As the water continues to warm and rise the water that is already warm is forced to move a little north. So as it gets way up north it is now cooling pretty fast and starts to sink down and get caught in the cycle again of being pulled from the bottom back to the south. This is a constant movement. Hence our currents in the oceans. These water shelves can vary in size. a few feet to miles deep.

On the surface the current takes a boat with it. The same goes for what is in the lower currents. IMO BP was hoping that the average Joe American would not understand the waters currents and hoped to hide the disaster that is below the surface waiting to rise up and destroy every thing in it's path. At that point BP would say "you can not prove it was from OUR spill" and try to wipe there hands clean of it all. Sadly it is just a matter of time before this screw up finds a place to rise from the depths like the mythical Kraken and lay waste Reefs and Islands and wildlife.

Another little tid bit. The flow of these currents does not change much. If it does slow, it can cause global cooling because the warm water is not making it's full cycle north. This fast slowing of the current is what is believed to have caused a cooling in the middle ages and kept everything cool for a few years. It is also believed to be what caused the last mini Ice age.

Worse case if it all is if the current reverses and the water at the surface is cold and goes south. Some think this is what causes major Ice ages.

Now don't take my word on the last few things. That is just info I have read over the years and have heard at some lectures I have gone to. Okay enough babbling from me. lol

Please excuse my sentence structure and grammar.