Submerged Oil Plumes Suggest Gulf Spill Is Worse Than BP

[blindpig]

Claims

Scientists believe marine 'dead zones' being created; firm succeeds in blocking rig riser pipe with siphon

Ocean scientists in the Gulf of Mexico have found giant plumes of oil coagulating at up to 1,300 metres below the surface, raising fears that the BP oil spill may be larger than thought – and that it might create huge "dead zones".

Members of the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology have been traversing the area around the scene of the Deepwater Horizon, the rig that exploded and sank on 20 April.

Using the latest sampling techniques, they have identified plumes up to 20 miles away from the Deepwater Horizon well head that continues to spew oil into the water at a rate of at least 790,000 litres a day. The largest plume found so far was 90 metres thick, three miles wide and 10 miles long.

Samantha Joye, marine science professor at the University of Georgia, who is working on the project, told the Guardian: "The plumes are abundant throughout the region. I would say they've become characteristic of this environment."

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2010/05/17-0

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[BeFree]

1. Leave BP alone!!

BP has done everything they can do. BP is the expert. We don't need government intervention, leave BP alone.

Who cares what's under water? No one lives there and there are plenty of fish in the sea. As long as the oil stays off the beaches, BP is cool, leave BP alone!

********place bushco smirk here***********/smirk

And, we hear, that BP will pay for all this.

But then, the smart people look back at Exxon Valdez and wonder if BP will.

[blindpig]

3. What I wish was under the water...

along with the BP hierarchy and major share holders, of course.

[damntexdem]

2. Yeah, their "blocking" siphon is collecitng 1000 barrels a day.

Whereas, the Coast Guard underestimate of the flow is 5000 barrels a day -- and the reasonable estimates are 50k to 100k barrels a day.

[amborin]

4. knr way worse than BP says; upper estimates are 80,000 barrels a day

catastrophic; and our government's response is inexcusable