News Oceans

The Deepwater Horizon oil spill spread much farther than once thought

Simulations show the extent of toxic oil pollution in the Gulf of Mexico from the 2010 disaster

Deepwater Horizon rig on fire after explosion

After the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico area closed for fishing did not include vast swaths of ocean that contained invisible but toxic levels of oil pollution, according to a new study.

NOAA

By Maria Temming

- More than 2 years ago

Nearly a decade after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, computer simulations suggest that the toxic pollution extended much farther than satellite images first indicated.