G6 - From Little Things, Big Things Grow: Oil Spills & other disasters

(From National Geographic) Contains some challenging vocabulary.

"This low-grade natural material may become a super picker-upper for petroleum"

"Oil spills have negative effects on the environment and this report tells you everything that needs to occur in order for a spill to happen." *Be sure to investigate "Related Links" for more useful information

"An accidental spill of extra-heavy crude oil points to some unusual challenges in safely getting this petroleum to market"

"Dead bottlenose dolphins had damage to lungs and other tissues, types previously linked to oil exposures"

Information on the Gulf of Mexico dead zone - an area of hypoxic waters (low oxygen) at the mouth of the Mississippi River. Its area varies in size, but can cover up to an incredible 6,000-7,000 square miles.

Oil spills are an environmental disaster. When crude oil is spilled into the sea, it affects more than the water in that particular location. This Web site presents information about what happens when an oil spill occurs. What steps are taken to lessen the spread of oil? How is the impact accessed? A photo journal of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 shows the damage that occurred. Many animated pages on this site illustrate what happens to the oil, where it goes, how coastlines are affected, and how wind speed influences the way the oil moves.

On March 24, 1989, the oil tanker Exxon Valdez struck a reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, causing 11 million gallons of oil to spill into the water. It is one of the most environmentally damaging oil spills in world history.