ENVIRONMENT At the beginning of March, an oil well in northern Colombia burst, spewing an unclear amount of oil into the Magdalena River. (National Geographic) Use our resources to learn more about oil spills and their impact on ecosystems and human activity. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Hundreds of barrels of petroleum have spilled … Continue reading Oil Spill Devastates Western Colombia
ENVIRONMENT The biggest oil tanker spill in more than 25 years has released huge amounts of an unusual type of petroleum to the Western Pacific. (Nature) Learn more about oil spills and their impact on the environment with our collection of activities, maps, and other resources. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas On January 6, … Continue reading Why is the Oil Spill in the East China Sea Frustrating Scientists?
ENVIRONMENT Thousands of invisible oil spills are polluting the Gulf of Mexico. (WIRED) Navigate the geography of offshore oil in the Gulf of Mexico with our dazzling high-res map. Discussion Ideas Why are oil spills invisible? They’re not. What WIRED calls “invisible” is not unsee-able, just low-profile; we don’t hear about them the way we do the Deepwater Horizon or Exxon Valdez spills. The “Coast … Continue reading Are Invisible Oil Spills Destroying the Gulf of Mexico?
ENVIRONMENT On the anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, scientists reveal a newly discovered process that may inspire better cleanup strategies. (Nat Geo News) Use our resources to learn more about the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill. Discussion Ideas The Nat Geo News article details a newly discovered phenomenon called MOSSFA—marine oil snow sedimentation and flocculent accumulation. (Just looking at the vocabulary gives you … Continue reading Science Sees Sea Snot Seeping on the Seafloor
ENVIRONMENT Oil from a wrecked tanker is creating a disaster in the waters of Bangladesh’s Sundarbans, the largest contiguous tidal mangrove forest in the world and a haven for a spectacular array of species, including rare dolphins and the endangered Bengal tiger. (Nat Geo News) Use this activity to help students model an oil spill’s impact on mangrove trees. Teachers, scroll down for a short list … Continue reading Bangladesh Braces for Oil Spill Impact
