Oil – Gulf of Mexico, US

The failed BP Macondo well emitted natural gas as well as liquid hydrocarbon contaminants of different composition and viscosity. The gas percolated into the atmosphere invisibly. The liquids, which contained suspended solids, were of different densities which floated at different levels. The oil was treated with Corexit, a dispersant chemical designed to mix with and alter surface tension of the oil and ultimately break it up and sink it. The oil in this photo is floating just under the water’s surface.