Researchers find “VAST VOLUMES” of oil on seafloor — Includes “Thick Raw Crude”

[nashville_brook]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2010-10-25-oilresearch25_ST_N.htm



Researchers find “VAST VOLUMES” of oil on seafloor — Includes “Thick Raw Crude”
Research teams find oil on bottom of Gulf, USA Today, October 24, 2010

Scientists who were aboard two research vessels… found substantial amounts of oil on the seafloor, contradicting statements by federal officials that the oil had largely disappeared.

Scientists on the research ship Cape Hatteras found oil in samples dug up from the seafloor in a 140-mile radius around the site of the Macondo well, said Kevin Yeager, a University of Southern Mississippi assistant professor of marine sciences. He was the chief scientist on the research trip, which ended last week.

Oil found in samples ranged from light degraded oil to thick raw crude, Yeager said. … “Clearly, there appears to be vast volumes of oil present on the seafloor,” Yeager said. “We saw considerable evidence of it.”

[jdlh8894]

1. Is the water still wet? n/t

[thecrow]

2. Well, it's kind of slippery-er...

[jdlh8894]

3. Only on the bottom(according to OP)n/t

[thecrow]

4. From the article:

"The concept of a big slick of oil sinking to the bottom is kind of an anathema," he said. "We have not found anything that we would consider actionable at 5,000 feet or 5 feet."

Debbie Payton, a NOAA oceanographer leading the agency's subsurface oil monitoring, said NOAA scientists have detected an oily sheen in some of the sediments samples they've taken near the well site, but early results from lab analysis so far have not shown any oil particles.

Part of the discrepancy between federal and academic scientists may come from how NOAA scientists lower the multi-ton machinery used to collect the samples, known as a "multiple corer," into the sea, said Samantha Joye, a University of Georgia marine sciences professor who was one of the first to discover oily sediment in the seafloor.

Lowering the multiple corer too fast could disrupt the fine sediment on the seafloor and disperse oil particles, she said.

"These are really fine layers," Joye said. "If you don't know what you're doing, you're not going to find oil."
****************************
So this is what BP was depending on with the dispersants?
How long before even more of the dispersed oil settles?
Can they pump this off?

[Angry Dragon]

5. As this world slowly dies, lies and more lies,

It is not often that a species can turn around and destroy itself.
We have the intelligence to save ourselves, but instead decide how
inventive we can become in our own destruction.

The only question that remains is what species will replace us.

[BeFree]

7. Like I always say....

....we could save our asses, but we just can't afford the costs.

&&&&&&

The oil, dear NOAA, is emulsified. Look it up. It's not an anathema, it's emulsified.

[nashville_brook]

12. like salad dressing.

[dixiegrrrrl]

8. Cockroaches, ants, Round up resistant plants, and anti-biotic resistant bacteria.

Oh, and telemarketers.

[Brickbat]

18. In my head, the first part of your post there was sung to the "Titanic" folk song.

Roaches, and ants, and Round-Up resistant plants, it was sad when the great Earth went down, down, down.

[xchrom]

6. Recommend

[spin]

9. I hate to say this ...

but if this is true the environmental damage could continue for years. If so, Obama will be strongly criticized for his handling of the oil spill and how he basically kissed BP ass.

Let's just hope and pray that the oil stays harmlessly on the bottom and does no damage to the ecosystem. In two years this could be a major issue that hurts Obama's chances for reelection.

[Angry Dragon]

10. This will be felt for generations

Reduced sea life, health problems, deaths, land plant destruction, lost wages, etc.

I say so what if it hurts Obama's chances to get re-elected. It is his job to lead this
country and protect the people of this country. This is the thing that elected people
mostly forget, it is their job to do what is right for this country and not worry about
if they keep their job. If a person does what they know is right and just, the job retention
will take care of itself.

[nashville_brook]

11. if Obama can't/won't make BP own their disaster, then what good is more Obama?

and...there oil existing "harmlessly on the bottom" -- the oil is in the ecosystem which is dying. the damage is done. it is a fantasy to think that there's discreet pockets of oil that aren't harming anything, just waiting to be eaten by magic bacteria.

it's time for Obama to start leading on this instead of asking BP what they feel like doing.

[blindpig]

13. It ain't the man....

it's the Capitalism. Anyone able to get vetted by the Big Boys would have done the same, it's their job.

[spin]

15. It does look like everybody we elect is bought and owned by the ...

big corporations.

[Catherina]

19. Sad recommend. n/t

[Evasporque]

14. suck it up....

no drilling needed.

[nashville_brook]

16. no doubt! you'd think they'd be trying to snort that stuff like junkies at this point.

[maryf]

17. K&Rnt

[nadinbrzezinski]

20. Nature will take care of it

The way it's taken care of it for aeons. It's not fast though...

And as long as the environment is not disturbed much and it remains somewhat aerobic those bacteria are having a feast. But it will take a while.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. Really? You mean it didn't all magically disappear?

Imagine that.