The most commonly discussed fates of oil spilled at sea are biodegradation (microorganisms consuming and breaking down the oil), evaporation (liquid oil becoming a gas), and oil stranding on shorelines.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest marine oil spill in United States history. The disaster was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig, taking 11 lives and releasing nearly 210 million gallons of crude oil into.
What happens to oil after an oil spill? Previously, scientists have focused on one of three fates: it is degraded by microorganisms, it evaporates or it ends up on the beach. But a new study of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico reveals another option. Almost 10 percent of the oil spewed in the disaster was dissolved into the gulf waters by sunlight.
The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was the largest marine oil spill in United States history. The disaster was caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon