Monday, May 3, 2010

NOAA and NASA satellites tasked with monitoring Gulf of Mexico oil spill

NOAA and NASA satellites tasked with monitoring Gulf of Mexico oil spill

May 2, 8:57 AMNatural Disasters ExaminerTony Hake
Comment Subscribe
Satellites operated by NASA and NOAA are now training their 'eyes' on the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA)  See images of the expanding oil as seen from space in the slideshow below.
Satellites operated by NASA and NOAA are now training their
'eyes' on the growing oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA)  See
images of the expanding oil as seen from space in the slideshow
below.
From their perch hundreds of miles in the air satellites provide an invaluable view of our Earth, most often associated with weather and disasters. With the explosion of BP's Deepwater Horizon well and the subsequent oil spill, these space faring tools are now tasked with monitoring the oil as it hits the U.S. Gulf Coast.
Satellites from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA began tracking the oil slick soon after the April 20th rig explosion. Since then, they have watched from above as the slick approaches Louisiana and the Mississippi Delta threatening an ecological disaster greater than the Exxon Valdez.
In 2005, NASA and NOAA satellites focused on Hurricane Katrina and New Orleans. Today, once again, they focus on the same area but for a different kind of disaster.
The satellite imagery provided by the services is crucial to government agencies planning their response to the spill and its clean up. The satellite imagery can provide near real time position information of the slick as it approaches the Gulf Coast ensuring resources are deployed as necessary.
Get the latest from the Natural Disasters Examiner

Connect with the Natural Disasters Examiner on Facebook       Follow the Natural Disasters Examiner on Twitter
Or be notified by email when a new article from the Natural Disasters Examiner is posted.  Click the 'Subscribe' link at the top or bottom of the article and enter your email address.
As the slick continues to threaten the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts in the immediate future, the satellites will continue to train their eyes in the sky on the area.
A change in wind patterns now threatens to shift the oil to the southwest toward the Florida Keys. While unlikely, if it does so and the oil enters the Gulf Stream, there is a threat the oil could impact the United States East Coast.
NASA and NOAA satellite imagery of the Gulf of Mexico oil slick
From the day after the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon oil rig until today, government satellites have captured images of the oil slick as it expands.
More About: Education · Technology · NASA

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please keep comments free of vulgarity. Your message will be deleted if not.
This thing is vulgar by it's self.