The damage and economic devastation from the British Petroleum (BP) Oil Spill does threaten to spread to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, but researchers contend that the reported "tar balls" found on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico are not due to the BP Oil Spill. I think.
The question is, what caused them?
The CNN report is confusing. The title reads that tar balls are from the BP oil spill, but the text says they may not be from the spill:
Tar balls found on a Florida Keys beach Monday, while not believed to be from a massive Gulf of Mexico spill, are nevertheless raising fears that oil will spread along the coastlines of Florida and beyond.
Clearly something's going on. This video below is of a tarball found on the shores of Gulfport, Ms:
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But what is a tarball? The National Oceanic and Atmostpheric Association defines it in this way according to The Miami Herald:
Tar balls, the little, dark-colored pieces of oil that stick to our feet when we go to the beach, are actually remnants of oil spills.
When crude oil (or a heavier refined product) floats on the ocean surface, its physical characteristics change.
During the first few hours of a spill, the oil spreads into a thin slick.
Winds and waves tear the slick into smaller patches that are scattered over a much wider area. Various physical, chemical and biological processes change the appearance of the oil. These processes are generally called ``weathering.''
If that's the case, it's fair to say the BP Oil Spill's reached the shores of The Gulf of Mexico already.
Stay tuned.
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