THE TWO BIGGEST OIL SPILLS

Exxon Valdez

The Exxon-Valdez tanker started its trip in Trans Alaska Pipeline terminal (Valdez, Alaska) March 23, 1989 and it was supposed to arrive to Los Angeles, California. In an effort to avoid the ice, the Exxon-Valdez did not traveled in normal shipping lanes. In this attempt, the big tanker ran aground in Bligh Reef, Alaska.

AMOUNT OF OIL SPILL:

After some hours of getting trapped in land, the vessel started to spill oil, about 10.9 millions of gallons (49,551,400 liters) were spilled all over the ocean.

As significant as the Valdez spill was- the largest ever in USA waters- it ranks well down on the list of the worlds largest spills in terms of volume released. However prince William sound`s remote locations ( accessible only by helicopter, plane, and boat) made government and industries response efforts difficult and severally taxed plans for response.

Response.

The response from Exxon required more than 11,000 personnel, 1,400 vessels and 85 aircraft to just cleanup. They burned the oil in the ocean, which was a successful procedure; only 300 gallons remained, which were collected easily.

ECOSYSTEM RESPONSE:

The oil persisted around a decade in the ocean in big amounts and toxic forms which affected in a very bad way the water quality causing the biological exposures, chronic persistence of oil, and other impacts in the species involved; compromising the health, reproduction, and growth of the population.

The region in which it occurred is a habitat for salmon, sea otters, seals, and sea birds.

The Deepwater Horizon BP disaster The accident occurred on the Gulf of Mexico

off the coast of the states of Louisiana and Alabama, near the mouth of the Mississippi River

When the Deepwater Horizon platform found oil in the Gulf of Mexico, it started performing the land in search of the resource, but it blew up so fast that the pipelines couldn’t support it and cause the oil spill, which then cause the explosion of the platform, the 20 of April of the year on course, and finally the sink of it in the Atlantic.

Amount of oil Spill:

Perhaps, this disaster could be bigger than the one of Exxon-Valdez, in terms of oil spilled. According to official numbers, since the Deepwater Horizon platform sinked in the Atlantic, after exploding, between 31 and 49 millions of liters (8.8 millions of gallons) have been spilled in the ocean. But the spill hasn’t stop yet, it has been calculated that the big tanker throws every day 800,000 liters of oil since the accident occur.

Response

One the valves of the 3 points of leakage was closed and now technical teams are trying to close another point of leakage. Now the company BP is sucking the spread oil and entering it on a ship.

Now, there is a copula of about 100 tons to stop the oil spill in the deep ocean.

Ecosystem Response

Although it is to early to know the impact of the oil spill in the environment, its obvious that results are going to be catastrophic and maybe very similar and even worst that the ones of Exxon. The oil will affect the water quality and in consequence the water pollution will impact the entire ecosystem in a major way.

images

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYFYVNvgg-A

references

El tiempo, desastre profundo. “Deep Horizon oil spill.” Wikipedia.

Web.  “exxon valdez oil spill.” the

encyclopedia of earth. Web.   “Fracasa intento de frenar marea

negra.” 9 May 2010: 1-22. Print.