3 Questions: John Marshall on the Gulf of Mexico oil spill
More than a month after the tragic events that set off the largest oil spill in U.S. history, scientists and BP officials continue to disagree over the amount of oil that has escaped into the Gulf of Mexico. Unlike other oil spills that have occurred relatively close to the surface, this spill is located about a mile down, which has made it difficult to predict the effects. John Marshall, an oceanographer in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, spoke to MIT News about the deep-sea catastrophe and the long, difficult cleanup ahead. Q. What is it about this oil spill that is going to significantly complicate cleanup efforts?A. The challenge for the cleanup operation depends on two factors: how much oil has escaped from the broken well - a figure that has been in much dispute - and to what degree it has spread around the ocean. The...