Airborne chemistry measurements used to assess flow rate, fate of spilled gases and oil during Gulf oil spill
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 - 11:31
in Earth & Climate
NOAA scientists and academic partners have found a way to use air chemistry measurements taken hundreds of feet above last years BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill to estimate how fast gases and oil were leaking from the reservoir thousands of feet underwater. The scientists also determined the fate of most of those gas and oil compounds using atmospheric chemistry data collected from the NOAA WP-3D research aircraft overflights in June. The study, accepted for publication in Geophysical Research Letters, a publication of the American Geophysical Union, is available online as a paper in press.