Wispy
tendrils of crude oil spread from the wrecked 146,000-ton tanker, Hebei Spirit,
in the sea off South
Korea.
More than
10,000 tons of oil has reportedly leaked since the tanker collided with a crane
barge on Friday, December 7. The South Korean government has dispatched navy
vessels and over one hundred fishing boats, but cleanup efforts aimed at
preserving South Korea's western coastline have been slowed by stormy seas and
high winds. Dead or dying marine life and birds have begun appearing on the
polluted beaches, with regional environmental agencies warning of widespread
damage.
The image
was taken by the European Space Agency's Envisat, which used its Advanced
Synthetic Aperture Radar to detect the oil slicks. Because oil on the sea
dampens waves, the reflected power measured by radar is smaller and shows up as
dark areas on the bright sea.
LiveScience's
Bad Science Columnist questioned
the allocation of resources in oil spill cleanups after a November incident
near San Francisco.
– ESA and SPACE.com Staff
Credit: ESA
