Oil drifting underwater

AP

Clouds of oil of have been seen underwater as far away as 142 miles from the original Deepwater Horizon rig explosion.


At today's Department of Homeland Security briefing on the oil spill with the Coast Guard's Thad Allen and NOAA's Jane Lubchenco, subsurface concentrations of oil were confirmed, and found drifting as far as 142 miles away from the site of the explosion.

Allen said that while the term "oil plume" has been used widely for several weeks, he said that is incorrect. "Cloud is a better term," he said.

Lubchenco chimed in, saying that people should think of this like ash from a volcano, the plume takes it up, where it then forms a cloud that drifts about on wind currents.



She added that the underwater measurements show that the oil in this cloud is concentrated in small amounts so far.

"Concentrations of the oil are in the range of 0.5 parts per million," she said.

The test results showed there is oil subsurface, its in the water column, and they are using samples from three different sites to create an MRI-like 3-D underwater image to see where the subsurface oil is and where it is drifting.

Allen also added that one of the four vents on the containment cap is now closed.

Discuss this post

This is just going to get worse before it gets better. So sad.  The Gulf will become a dead zone for generations.

Curious...Sarah Palin has been a bit quiet lately on the spill....could it be her mouth is full of all the crow she's been eating for her drill baby drill campaign rants? 

    Reply#1 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:36 PM EDT

    Actually, the NOAA report was full of GOOD news for the Gulf.

    There were hundreds of samples taken from three different sites. Oil from the BP gusher was only found in ONE.

    How can that be? Well, the Gulf has always had natural oil seepage from the sea bed. (It's there naturally, folks.) So, the low levels of oil that were found at the other two sites had nothing to do with the BP gusher.

    That is good news for everyone.

      Reply#2 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:36 PM EDT

      Hey no joe no bo no job, man you sure never run out of Great Right Lies do you? While there may be some natural oil spillage along the ocean floor it sure doesn't amount to what we're seeing from BP Oil's massive oil spill. We sure don't see natural oil slicks upon the ocean's surface do we? Just another sad attempt at lying about good news when all there is is bad news. I guess you've missed all the satellite imagery showing just how extensive that oil spill is haven't you?

      The only good news about this is that President Obama finally can clean up the crooked corrupt Minerals Management Services that Corporate Criminals Bush and Cheney made sure to dumb down to gross incompetence. The only other good news is that now the Drill Baby Drill crowd has been proven wrong and the federal government gets to crack down on corrupt corporate criminals you corrupt repugnant ones always support.

      no joe no bo no job - No Facts, No Honesty No Reality!

      • 1 vote
      #2.1 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:48 PM EDT

      (It's there naturally, folks.)

      That's right, NJNB. Just like an idiot once said not long ago, "It's just as natural as water". Radiation is natural too. Have you considered sitting on a pile of uranium?

        #2.2 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:53 PM EDT

        Hey no joe no bo no job - just read the msnbc.com news story about that NOAA strudy and it quite specifically mentions two spots where oil was found 42 miles northwest and 142 miles southeast of the Deepwater oil spill site. As always you twist the facts into your self serving Great Right Lies! It won't be long before you see oil floating on the ocean's surface near your Jersey Shores. Won't you celebrate that good news when it happens? You Betcha!

        • 1 vote
        #2.3 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:06 PM EDT

        No jo when we went to the new format I was hoping you were going to slow up on being so cotton-picking contrary.You do pretty good ever now and again but you need to quit repealting stuff like this it just makes you look silly.Check back a few and pull up a post I put up right before the change about Marine biologists telling me that this was going to happen and has the potential to be more destructive than the oil we can see on the surface. As for talking point that your using up there I wish it would occur to the dang fool that came up with that yes there are naturally occurring events in the ocean and have been for ever.Everything adjusts to these conditions. Fish and wildlife do not congregate there and fishermen learn not to fish there and life goes on. The problem with your argument is that this material is going to drift into migratory patterns and areas that have been established for centuries and the damage is going to be done before Mama Nature has time to adjust.Unless the person that's putting this stuff out is planing on diving down about 300 feet and holding out a detour sign.Think before you repeat dear.

        • 1 vote
        #2.4 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:23 PM EDT

        no joe, all blo aka Poll Dancer is so blinded with hate for this President that she has lost any creditability.

        Two years ago she often made well reasoned points based on factual information but for over a year now all her posts are rants, name calling and wobbly information. Oh, and lets not forget those poll numbers, you know, the ones she likes.

          #2.5 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:40 PM EDT

          IR-go to the

          msn story and click on the link to the NOAA report.

          Good news is good news. We should ALL be happy about it.

          By the way-the other day you asked about the pretty princess. Well, she's crawling, pulling herself up to cruise, and says a few words! (My favorite is 'tettelone' when the phone rings) Healthwise-she had a bad kidney infection last month, and we will know more in two weeks when she has another nuclear renal scan. We pray, and enjoy each day.

          I do appreciate your asking for her.

            #2.6 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:40 PM EDT

            No jo That's really just so fine to hear. The little ones are a joy forever so you hold her close as long as you can. Drop a progress report on the line occasionally so we can keep up. You know that I don't agree with your interpretations about half the time but funs fun and pretty princesses are for serious. Liked the thing on the bird rescue training yesterday by the way.

              #2.7 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 2:32 PM EDT

              I'm a doctor and I smoke lucky stikes!

                #2.8 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 3:32 PM EDT
                Reply

                Despite what Tony Baloney Wayward Hayward said about there being no oil plumes we now have proof positive he has been lying all along trying to cover up BP Oil's massive oil spill. Whether it's an oil plume or oil cloud it is screwing up the Gulf ecosystem by helping microrganisms who convert that oil by consuming oxygen in the water. Going to take years to return the Gulf's oxygen levels to what they used to be, meanwhile that oxygen depleted water is going to have long term negative effects on the wildlife there.

                We need to blame the ones really responsible for the oil spill, the oil industry clowns like Clueless George Bush and Dick Cheney who made sure our federal government did not properly regulate or oversee offshore oil drilling. We just witnessed two deadly pipeline explosions recently, just more proof the dirty energy industry needs far more scrutiny. Private business has caused this massive disaster and private business said they could handle the problem.

                I like the way President Obama called Tony Baloney Hayward a liar without using that exact word. I'm glad we finally have a president who does not trust corrupt corporate CEO's! We sure can't trust CEO's like Old Nag Twitwoman or Phony Fiorina to buy their way into political power just so they can give themselves tax cut welfare they don't need or deserve or which won't create new jobs.

                I'm glad we have President Obama and the Big Federal Government to protect us from the corrupt corporate CEO's and BP Oil. If it weren't for the federal government people along the Gulf coast would not get one thin dime for their wrecked businesses and livelihoods. We know that Corporate Criminals Bush and Cheney would have protected BP Oil against the people. Sleazy Liz Cheney is still trying to do just that.

                • 1 vote
                Reply#3 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:40 PM EDT

                Had a chat with a few oiled covered pelicans this morning. They were pretty pissed to be covered in this tar like material that was cutting off oxygen to their bodies and that kept them from taking flight in search of food. They indicated that the mood of many of their friends as the sea turtles, dolphins and other marine life pals was pretty grim, and that although not having much trust in man in the first place this oil slick has really created a serious dislike for the human species. Recent polls show that 92% of pelicans now mistrust man completely followed closely by 91.5% of sea turtles, 89% of other forms of marine life with the dolphins disgust in man coming in at a 73%. According to a few hermit crabs that were interviewed 27% of dolphins remained somewhat naive in man's ability to take care of the planets. By the way hermit crabs came in at a high 97% disturst in the human species.

                When asked by these marine pals what humans were saying about this spill I told them that many people were nitpicking as to who to blame for this catastrophe. Many are ticked off at BP while a large sample were also criticizing President Obama. That the Republicans blamed Obama and the Dems, the Dems fought back blaming the Republicans. And although no one really had a clue how to stop this leak there was quite a bit of activity taking polls as to who people blamed for this mess. That's when a small adolescent seahorse covered in goo limped forward, breathing heavy, and while starring me in the eye said, "tell your kind that while they gripe and moan at one another which is so typical of the human race we are dying out here. Man, what good is he!!

                  Reply#4 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:53 PM EDT

                  CA that is deep and no pun intended. I can't imagine what it must be like for these innocent creatures. It should say all that needs to be said to anyone that has an IQ above 3.

                    #4.1 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:03 PM EDT

                    CA,

                    You made me cry :0( but it needed to be said and should be repeated every day!

                      #4.2 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:14 PM EDT

                      Thanks C.A. that make more sense than anything I've seen in about a month

                        #4.3 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:28 PM EDT

                        You should write chidrens books your too creative for most adults.

                          #4.4 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 3:35 PM EDT
                          Reply

                          I'd like to see some in depth reporting on the effects of all this oil on: 1. Health (to clean up workers, to residents and how far inland any problems could spread. 2. Weather (from evaporating methane gas, changes in water temperature. 3. How far could this spread outside the gulf (has anybody done any recent tracking on what was already reported in the Loop current?

                          I wonder if reporters could be bothered to do some real investigative journalism on these issues?

                            Reply#5 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 12:57 PM EDT

                            Would you put much faith in anything they told you at this point?

                            • 1 vote
                            #5.1 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 3:29 PM EDT

                            I'm not sure Maggie--it would depend I suppose. Depend on amount and quality of referenced information, tone of the presentation, etc etc etc.

                            Still, I'd like the information reported.

                            You know, this is going to date me, but I long for the days of the Huntley Brinkley Report, and Peter Jennings and Walter Cronkite. You got the facts without ever really knowing their political persuasions.

                            Like Sgt. Joe Friday used to say, "Just the facts, ma'am, just the facts." Probably too much to ask.

                              #5.2 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 4:46 PM EDT
                              Reply

                              The GOP is responsable for all this ! They relaxed the restrictions for their friends in oil and the banking industry's . Why are they not paying for all this ? Take cheneys/ bush fortunes as a fine to pay for some of this . Why should we the taxpayers get stuck once again? This is why we need term limits 2 in a lifetime ,and no retirements. No BUSINESS DONATIONS EVER !!! Make it a crime !

                                Reply#6 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:22 PM EDT

                                Halliburton was once owned (51%) by Dick Cheyney. He and Clueless George need to reap what they have sown. I am with you on the 2 term limit on all politicians. And Lobbyists should all be banned from any where close to a politician!

                                  #6.1 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 1:59 PM EDT
                                  Reply

                                  It seems that Haliburton is involved in so many disasters these days. Dastardly Dick Cheney and the evil spawn, Lizzie, seem to be the biggest supporters of such evil. "Clueless George", as Eric calls him, just went along for the ride. Being too much of a loser he had little choice.

                                  Be that as it may, we have a mess and it is up to all of us to do our part to clean it up and send BP the bill. We have had wake-up calls in the past (1970s gas lines for example) but we didn't listen. Now, maybe we will wake up and start using our intelectual energy, tax incentives and whatever else is necessary to take the lead on alternative energy. Brazil is way ahead of us on this. America has led major advances in technology in the past and we can do it again. Working together we can accomplish things never thought possible. We can do it again.

                                    Reply#7 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 2:22 PM EDT

                                    Ditto that...

                                    Make no mistake it was the Dick who had his hand up his 'puppet' Bush's butt...

                                      #7.1 - Tue Jun 8, 2010 3:17 PM EDT
                                      Reply
                                      You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead.
                                      As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.