Slosh and Berm: Building Sand Barriers off Louisiana Coast to Hold Back Oil Spill Has Low Probability of Success

Tuesday, June 8, 2010 - 09:21 in Earth & Climate

In an effort to stem the tide of oil washing ashore in Louisiana, small "berms" of sand now plug gaps in barrier islands along the coast. Such structures are intended to provide a barrier to oil penetrating into marshes and other wetlands, where it can persist for decades. Already, more than 250 kilometers of coastline have been touched by the output of the ongoing oil spill, which has now spewed as much as 170 million liters of petroleum into the Gulf of Mexico. [More] Gulf of Mexico - Oil spill - Louisiana - Barrier island - Wetland

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