Just like the can, the spilled oil represents only .00000002788% of the liquid volume present in the Gulf of Mexico, although as the oil is dispersed, the amount of water affected becomes substantially greater.
In asn article on the CNBC website on Monday they had a graphic showing that if the Gulf of Mexico was the equivalent in volume to the Cowboy’s new Texas Stadium the amout of oil spilled would equal a 24 oz. can of beer. Between burn-off and evaporation much of the original leak will never be accounted for.
Some poster has made the calculations that the total volume of oil spill would fill a cube a about 400’X400’X400’. That’s using 7.2 gallons of crude per cubic foot. A foot ball field expanded to 400’ ft each way.. That’s a lot of oil gathered in one location but in terms of the entire gulf it is a small amount. However the areas that get it on them are devastated for a long time.
This isn't Prince William Sound where the water temperature varies from 40 degrees farenheit in the winter to just below 60 degrees farenheit in the summer. The winter low temperatures in the GOM are about the same as the summer high temps in the Prince William sound, the summer high temperatures in the GOM are 25-28 degrees higher (87 - 88 degrees).
Assuming the leak has been stemmed, oil that reached the surface will be gone before Halloween. The key for now is to keep it out of the coastal wetlands and bays ... if that can be done the sand beaches can be cleaned and the environment will be back to near normal in 2 summers. If the drilling ban isn't lifted, the economy of the gulf states will be screwed for a long, long time.
>>In asn article on the CNBC website on Monday they had a graphic showing that if the Gulf of Mexico was the equivalent in volume to the Cowboy’s new Texas Stadium the amout of oil spilled would equal a 24 oz. can of beer. Between burn-off and evaporation much of the original leak will never be accounted for.<<
And about as serious as the spilled can of beer?