Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill – News, Imagery and Maps

The oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico began after an explosion at the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig on 20 April 2010. Since then millions of gallons of oil have been leaking into the gulf. Despite efforts to stem the leak and contain the oil on the surface, the slick has spread, threatening wildlife and closing down thousands of sq miles to fishing. The shape and extent of the spill changes due to weather conditions, currents, the use of oil-dispersing chemicals and the rate of oil escaping from the well site.

The BBC’s Oil and water pages give the latest news, pictures , accounts and facts as well as a Mapping the slick application which shows how the oil has spread across the Gulf of Mexico

Visit NASA's Oil spill website for further information, imagery and a video showing images of the Gulf Oil Spill Over Time.

Andy Lintner’s Visualizing the BP Oil Spill Disaster mapping application has notched up hundreds of thousands of hits. He has created a (daily updated) map of the oil spill that can be centred anywhere in the world. This really emphasises the size of the slick by comparing with an area you know.

If you know of any other outstanding sites about the oil spill then let me know.

18 June update: a colleague has just sent me the link to a 'scary oil leak counter' – see the widget in How Much Oil Has Leaked Into the Gulf of Mexico? It is constantly updated according to the adjustable leak estimate.