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Natural Oil Seeps in the Gulf of Mexico

A NASA Earth Observatory news release from February 3, 2009

Although accidents and hurricane damage to infrastructure are often to blame for oil spills and the resulting pollution in coastal Gulf of Mexico waters, natural seepage from the ocean floor introduces a significant amount of oil to ocean environments as well. Oil spills are notoriously difficult to identify in natural-color (photo-like) satellite images, especially in the open ocean. Because the ocean surface is already so dark blue in these images, the additional darkening or slight color change that results from a spill is usually imperceptible.

Satellite image of natural oil seeps in the Gulf of Mexico by Jesse Allen, NASA. See zoomed-in below.

 

Satellite image of natural oil seeps in the Gulf of Mexico. Jesse Allen, NASA. See above for reference.

 

The same image with contrast added. Jesse Allen, NASA. See above for reference.

 

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