Will the BP Oil Spill reach Europe?
Sadly if we are asking this question about the Gulf Oil Spill (BP Oil Spill) and its ability to be carried by the gulf stream across the Atlantic Ocean... what is after Europe? Where do the ocean currents take this oil after its trip across the Atlantic? The Arctic Ocean? Asia? The Pacific Ocean?
Could this BP Oil Spill go around the world?
What would be the outcome environmentally if it were to circle the globe?
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M$7 Answers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE-1G_476nA&feature=player_embedded
After 132 days of oil spill, based on simulations, it will likely appear as shown below:
The way I look at it, when the oil spill reaches Europe, it will definitely affect the United Kingdom, Norway, Iceland and the Arctic Ocean, but there is possibility of oil dilution as the slick travels the world's ocean. This oil spill disaster, is not only multinational but an international disaster that needs the concerted effort by the league of nations. With BP being one of Britain's largest companies, the most UK can do is make the company pay, punish officials by imprisonment, and dissolve the company to funnel funds to the effort of containing the oil spill, since polluting the sea with oil is just not acceptable and I consider it not only crimes against the ocean but of the world.
Considering the movements of the world's ocean currents, this oil spill will likely travel around the world from the continents of Europe, Arctic Ocean, South America, Africa, Middle East, Indian Ocean, Antarctica, Australia, Pacific Ocean, Asia and then back to the Indian Ocean, thereby navigating roughly around the world.
This oil spill could truly be one for the books that will reach a level of a very serious global environmental tragedy in the oceans marine ecosystem which would greatly impact on the people who depend on the seas for their economic survival, whereas nations around the world would be constrained to address the problem despite limited government resources and expertise in battling oil spills.
Environmentally here are some of the most glaring effects of the tragedy:
a. Toxic and poisoned bodies of water due to the oil slick. "Both the global food chain and the world’s waters are being progressively poisoned by all of this oil."
b. Massive displacement of the fishing and sea foods industry worldwide.
c. Unquantifiable loss of Wildlife both in the ocean and the wetlands in Louisiana and around the globe.
d. The beauty of the Ocean around the globe will never be the way it was before the accident.
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M$
Just kidding. That was from something called
"What would the oil spill look like over my house?"
But no, really, it will reach Europe:
"The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico is gradually finding its way toward Europe and the Arctic to damage, endangering wider ecological basins, scientists say.
Briefing a congressional panel on Friday, senior US scientists warned that the bad consequences of the massive oil leak are not confined to the US coasts, and the wildlife are endangered in a far broader scope."
Check around on google.co.uk and you'll find the Press TV piece--published in Ireland on May 25.
It's much easier to explain without using the words "loop" or "current." Think about it--you've got a bathtub of water--the world's waterways. Pour some half-set-up jello into it. No matter what you do, wherever THAT EXACT WATER flows and spreads, it will have some Jello in it unless you filter it all out. In every body of water..unless you filter every sea, ocean and connected body in the world.in the world.
Now try to jam a small tanker-truck of Jello through a strainer at high velocity into your swimming pool.. Assuming it's now in little chunks, aka dispersed, you'll never get rid of it--no matter how its viscosity changes.
I have no idea of the environmental damage worldwide but supposedly a Nigerian blowout was worse than this.
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M$
Just to clarify, the presstv.ir is an Iranian site. So far, the press or any marine authorities in Europe have not expressed any great concerns about this issue yet. It is possible that quantities of oil from this disaster will find their way into European waters, but not significant / excessive quantities. An interesting quote from the source below
"Large shipwrecks such as that of the tanker Erika are not the only sources of ocean pollution. The small but frequent oil spills have shown to be far more serious in the long run but there is much less public awareness of their importance. They are mostly caused by ballast cleaning of ships' tanks in the open sea, by harbour and refinery activities, by oil platforms, etc."
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/4/1/014008/pdf/1748-9326_4_1_014008.pdf
(See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Erika )
So while oil from the Gulf of Mexico would obviously not be desirable, the quantities that might eventually reach most parts of Europe would not yet appear to be that significant overall, when local oil pollution issues are also taken into consideration.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXM6D5LxdUw
At the time, this “supertanker” that split in two was the world's largest ever oil spill; its 223,000 tonnes exceed the Exxol disaster (37,000 tonnes) of 1989, and the figure still compares with the BP spill, with the spill from the BP well (so far) being estimated at about 300,000 tonnes (there is of course no agreed figure on this). The biggest impact from the Amoco Cadiz was the loss of some 20,000 birds (most of them diving birds) and up to 9,000 tonnes of oyster. Some species of fish almost completely disappeared, but thankfully most species recovered during the year and years that followed the accident. Evidence of oil can still be seen in some sheltered areas of the affected beaches on the French coast; the long-term effects of Amoco Cadiz spill are still intensively studied today.
If the BP leak is not properly contained, then it will gradually become of greater concern to European countries. So far, commentary in relation to a significant environmental or economic impact for the BP oil spill on Europe has not been widespread. Some experts had suggested significant implications if the BP leak had continued at the same rate as was the case at first, but if the spill is contained its potential impact upon Europe will be greatly lessened.
The European countries that would appear most likely to be affected geographically are Ireland and Scotland. The fishing industries in these countries would also be affected, and Spain would also be concerned, being the owner of the EU's largest fishing fleet and a frequent visitor to the international waters that lie to the west and south of Ireland. Norway (Europe's largest producer of fish) would probably be more concerned if not for an overfishing dispute that has seen the EU and Norway ban each others' vessels from each other's waters.
The gulf stream is a warm current and this will likely aid the evaporation of the oil as it proceeds along that route. An unfortunate aspect that has been well documented is that the east coasts of North America will likely be the first to see oil being washed up if the spill does get picked up by the gulf stream.
While the world's oceanic streams are interlinked, I think it is unlikely that the oil would travel beyond the gulf stream in significant quantities, at least not in sufficient measure to exceed damage caused by smaller oil spills at more local levels.
The biggest impact on any European country could be a strain on the relationship between the USA and the UK, if BP's problems end up landing at the door of the British government.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amoco_Cadiz
http://greennature.com/article219.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/world/us_and_canada/10290238.stm
http://iopscience.iop.org/1748-9326/4/1/014008/pdf/1748-9326_4_1_014008.pdf
http://www1.american.edu/ted/ice/morspain.htm
http://www.eubusiness.com/news-eu/norway-fish-economy.1uo/
http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/atlantic/gulf-stream.html
http://wonkroom.thinkprogress.org/2010/05/18/oilpocalypse-loop-current/
http://lobojosden.blogspot.com/2010/05/nasa-satellite-image-of-bp-oil-spill...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_oil_spills
http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullNews.php?headline=Obama%2C+Cameron+to+...
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M$
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M$
Have you ever wondered that where did all the oil from previous spills go? All the oil cannot be cleaned and it is ultimately evenly and finely mixed with the sea/ocean water. Take a sample of sea/ocean water from any part of the sea/ocean, get it tested in a lab and you'll find traces of oil in it.
That's it.
Hope it explains. Thanks
Personal Opinion
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M$
(Damn, now I'm depressed).
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
latest stats suggest estimates are double the figure previously thought . acc .. guardian Its 3rd time obama administration increased its estimate .
Mean while some one found an unique solution to oil spills from joe-ks.com
To quote the interviewee (Synte Peacock) in one of the sources you have provided :
"We have not yet run the simulations long enough to assess the possible impact on Europe. We do not anticipate that significant amounts will reach Europe; the ocean currents do not go directly to Europe, so a lot of mixing would need to occur in order for Europe to be affected."
( http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/06/04/DI2010060402415.html )
And elsewhere :
“We have been asked if and when remnants of the spill could reach the European coastlines,” says Martin Visbeck, a member of the research team with IFM-GEOMAR, University of Kiel, Germany. “Our assumption is that the enormous lateral mixing in the ocean together with the biological disintegration of the oil should reduce the pollution to levels below harmful concentrations. But we would like to have this backed up by numbers from some of the best ocean models.”
( http://www2.ucar.edu/news/ocean-currents-likely-to-carry-oil-spill-along-atlantic-coast )
Outstanding answer :D