Satellite Images of Oil Slick From NASA

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Oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig was visible on the surface of Gulf of Mexico waters on June 18, 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite took this picture the same day. The oil appears in meandering, interlocking patterns of varying shades of off white. The angle of the Sun plays a role in the oil slick’s visibility, as the oil is illuminated by sunglint.

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On June 12, 2010, oil from the still-leaking Deepwater Horizon well was particularly visible across the northern Gulf of Mexico when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image at 1:55 p.m. Central Daylight Time. Oil appears to have reached beaches and barrier islands in Alabama and the western Panhandle of Florida.
Close to the location of the well, the oil appears gray, but to the northeast, it is bright silver. The increased brightness does not necessarily mean the oil is thicker or more concentrated there; it may simply be that the oil is located in the sunglint region of the image—the spot where the Sun’s reflection would appear if the water surface was as perfectly smooth as a mirror.
Normally, waves blur the Sun’s reflection, diffusing its brightness. Oil smooths the water surface, making it a better mirror. When the slick appears in that part of the image, viewing conditions are ideal, and the patches and ribbons of oil are extremely bright. When the oil slick is not in the sunglint part of the image, however, it may be imperceptible against the dark background of the ocean.
Twice-daily images of the Gulf of Mexico are available from the MODIS Rapid Response Team.

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Oil from the Deepwater Horizon rig lingered near the Mississippi Delta on June 10, 2010. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite captured this image the same day. The oil slick is pale gray, and the most conspicuous portion of the oil slick in this image appears near the Deepwater Horizon rig. A smaller, though still sizable, extension of the slick appears northeast of the rig. Clouds somewhat obscure the Mississippi Delta, northwest of the rig.
In photo-like satellite images, the mirror-like reflection of the Sun off the ocean surface makes the oil slick easier to see. Normally, waves blur the perfect reflection of the Sun into a wide, washed-out strip. Oil smooths the surface of the water, making it a better mirror. Depending on the location of the oil, the angle of the Sun, and the satellite’s angle of view, the oil may appear brighter or darker than the surrounding oil-free surface waters.

Attention, ladies and gentlemen of NASA: You have a pool of brilliant minds, scientists and engineers. Can't you apply all that brain power to finding a practical solution to the oil gushing into the Gulf ?? If Kevin Costner and his brother can invent a machine to separate the oil from the water surely you can come up with something.