Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill

  • Released Thursday, May 27, 2010
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You can learn more about NASA's satellite observations of the oil spill by visiting https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/oilspill/.

Video File: including video of the spill location (updated through April 2011) and a collection of images from NASA satellites.

Timelapse Video: This short video reveals a space-based view of the burning oil rig, the spill, and the location through April 1, 2011. The MODIS instrument, on board NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites, captured images of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The spill began on April 20, 2010 with the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig. The oil slick appears grayish-beige in the images and changes due to changing weather, ocean currents, and the use of oil dispersing chemicals.

This short video reveals a space-based view of the burning oil rig (from the MODIS instrument on board NASA's Terra and Aqua satellites) and, later, the ensuing oil spill through May 24, 2010. The oil slick appears grayish-beige in the images and changes due to changing weather, ocean currents, and the use of oil dispersing chemicals. Images in the video time series were selected that show the spill most clearly.

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
Images courtesy of MODIS Rapid Response Project (NASA/GSFC and University of Maryland - http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov)

This page was originally published on Thursday, May 27, 2010.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:54 PM EDT.

Missions

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Series

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Tapes

This visualization originally appeared on the following tapes:
  • Gulf Oil Spill (ID: 2010080)
    Wednesday, May 26, 2010 at 4:00AM
    Produced by - Terry Cole (NASA)

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