Seepage in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is recognized to contain a number of known natural oil seeps. Several satellite passes over the seepage sites reveal the persistent or ephemeral nature of the slicks, suggesting a natural or man-made origin.

The scene acquired over the Green Canyon area shows several features imaged over the sea surface. At the top right, some nearly circular features reveal the effects of rain cells over the sea. The area of low radar backscatter (dark) is due to the heavy rain dampening out the short waves, while increased turbulence from the surrounding areas gives high backscatter (bright).

The areas of low backscatter imaged as dark patches in the center of the scene are probably caused by low wind conditions, while the bright spots all around are large deepwater oil rigs with attending surface vessels.
Several natural oil slicks are instead visible in the bottom of the image. The high contrast between the slicks and the surroundings indicates that the wind speed is moderate (red arrows), while the slicks shape suggest a westward direction of the wind.

Click here for an interpretation overlay:
green arrows: natural oil slicks,
red arrows: low wind areas,
blue arrows: rain cells.

ERS Data Utilization Section, ESA/ESRIN

Keywords: ESA European Space Agency - Agence spatiale europeenne, observation de la terre, earth observation, satellite remote sensing, teledetection, geophysique, altimetrie, radar, chimique atmospherique, geophysics, altimetry, radar, atmospheric chemistry