2 June 2010: Oil slicks, plankton blooms and ash clouds were among the images captured by European Space Agency and Nasa satellites last month
Sunlight illuminates the lingering oil slick off the Mississippi delta on 24 May, 2010. In this image, oil smooths the ocean surface, making the Sun’s reflection brighter in some places, and reducing the scattering of sunlight in other places. As a result, the oil slick is brighter than the surrounding water in some places (image centre), and darker in others (lower right). The tip of the Mississippi delta is surrounded by muddy water that appears light tan. Bright white ribbons of oil streak across this sediment-laden water. A small, dark plume along the edge of the slick, not far from the original location of the Deepwater Horizon rig, indicates a possible controlled burn of oil on the ocean surface
Photograph: NASA
The Guardian
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