Underwater Landslides
Ever taken time to consider this (I had not)?
Human error has caused some of the most infamous oil spills in U.S. history, such as those from the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon. But natural causes can also trigger epic disasters: A spill that has been gushing crude oil for 16 years started when an oil production platform off the coast of Louisiana was demolished by an underwater landslide.
Now, evidence from seismic data suggests these undersea avalanches are more common in the Gulf of Mexico than previously recognized, raising concerns about the region’s nearly 2,000 offshore oil platforms as well as tens of thousands of miles of oil and gas pipelines that transport fossil fuels to shore.
“It’s not impossible that a platform could be destroyed by a mudslide. That’s already happened,” says Ian MacDonald, a professor of oceanography at Florida State University who wasn’t involved with the new study. “It’s not impossible that could trigger an oil spill that would be extremely difficult to control. That’s already happened.”
MacDonald is referring to the Taylor Energy oil spill just offshore of Louisiana, where crude has been gushing into the ocean at a rate of around a hundred barrels a day since 2004. Despite not being well known, this spill is considered one of the worst oil disasters in U.S. history. The cause? An undersea landslide triggered by powerful waves and storm surge from Hurricane Ivan.
(https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2020/05/hidden-landslides-detected-in-the-gulf-of-mexico/)
Not only had I not thought about the impact of earthquakes and landslides on all the platforms and pipes down in the Gulf of Mexico, but I had no clue that there has been a significant leaker for the last 16 years.
Can you even try to visualize the environmental mega-disaster we could be looking at down the road?
Ugggggh!
Grace & Peace & Love to you all -
Matt
