While energy companies have struggled to restore output since Hurricane Ida tore through the Gulf of Mexico, satellite surveillance of oil spills left in the storm’s wake has continued around the clock, documenting the potential environmental impact
Sources: NOAA ; Energy Department
NOAA began making its marine-pollution reports available to the public in March 2018. The number and size of suspected spills in the Gulf declined in the 12 months after pandemic lockdowns took effect in early 2020, when global demand for oil fell. Detection has risen this summer, and particularly since Hurricane Ida struck.Note: Each dot represents a report of a suspected oil spill, plotted by image date. Darker shades reflect overlapping dots.
There is also a seasonal factor in satellite surveillance. When analyzing visible imagery, experts have an easier time seeing oil pollution from space in the summer because the angle of the sun is more favorable. “When the sun illuminates an oil sheen, the analyst is able to observe a white, shimmery appearance against a dark ocean background. Therefore during late spring through early fall, there is a higher likelihood of detecting oil in satellite imagery,” said Ellen Ramirez, a supervisory scientist at NOAA’s Satellite Analysis Branch.Visible-Image Surveillance
In satellite images like this one, which was captured Sept. 3 near Grande Isle, La., areas with thicker oil appear lighter in color.
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