News about an underwater plume associated with the oil release.
"WASHINGTON (AP) — The government says water tests have confirmed underwater oil plumes as far as 142 miles from the BP oil spill, but that concentrations are "very low."
NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenko said that the tests conducted at three sites by a University of South Florida research vessel confirmed oil as far as 3,300 feet below the surface 42 miles northeast of the well site and also oil below-surface oil 142 miles southeast.
Lubchenko said the analysis "indicate there is definitely oil sub surface. It's in very low concentrations" of 0.5 parts per million. BP had questioned whether oil actually was forming below water."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap//us_gulf_oil_spill_plumes
Depending on what petroleum contaminants they are talking about in specific, 0.5 ppm may not be that much or actually a fairly high concentration. More details would be helpful.
NOAA's conclusions seem to be related to the following, "Scientists with the University of South Florida say they've found a second oil plume"
The second video shows a test tank and the formation of an underwater plume from a submerged release.
More on CNN:
"The University of South Florida recently discovered a second oil plume in the northeastern Gulf. The first plume was found by Mississippi universities in early May.
USF has concluded microscopic oil droplets are forming deep water oil plumes. After a weeklong analysis of water samples, USF scientists found more oil in deeper water.
"These hydrocarbons are from depth and not associated with sinking degraded oil but associated with the source of the Deep Horizon well head," said USF Chemical Oceanographer David Hollander.
Through isotopic or microscopic fingerprinting, Hollander and his USF crew were able to show the oil in the plume came from BP's blown-out oil well. The surface oil's so-called fingerprint matched the tiny underwater droplet's fingerprint."
Continued at:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/07/gul...ume/index.html
and related information from Ecorigs:
" EcoRigs can arrange to collect samples of surface and subsurface oil to those interested in analysis. We can also provide other offshore environmental and biological services. Please contact at
ecorigs@hotmail.com for more information.
Report June 6th, 2010
For five days, from May 27th till June 2nd , subsurface oil globules the size of quarters and 50 cent pieces were observed consistently throughout the day. They occupied the area between 60 -120 feet below the surface and moved in a horizontal direction with the current. The site was 200 miles due west of the source of the spill in 200 feet of water and over eighty miles south of Vemilion Parish. The balls of oil appeared to be covered with growth (presumably bacteria). When the balls of oil were poked with a finger, they dissipated into small particles that either dissolved or were too small to see. The observers described the event like popping a bubble. The seas were calm and no sign of oil was seen on the surface during the entire five day period. These subsurface oil globules were also observed on May 19th. "
http://www.ecorigs.org/EcoRigsOilSpill.html