Animal impacts
Why is oil dangerous for animals with fur like sea otters?
Oil makes their fur clump together, ruining their waterproof fur, which stops them from staying warm and can cause them to get too cold, which can lead to hypothermia. When they try to lick themselves clean they ingest the toxic oil which makes them sick.
Where do we find oil?
Deep inside the Earth
Why does oil float on top of the water?
Oil floats because it is less dense (lighter) than water, so it rises to the top.
What are booms?
Booms are long floating barriers that act like a fence to stop an oil spill from spreading
Why is oil bad for birds?
It ruins their waterproof feathers, which makes it very hard for them to stay warm and makes the wings sticky and heavy making it very difficult to fly.
How is crude oil made?
Oil comes from tiny plants and animals that dead millions of years ago and are layered under the earth's surface. The heat from the earth's core and the weight of rocks caused them to compress, "cooking" them into oil over millions of years, which once retrieved from deep in the earth is then sent to refineries to heat and turn it into a gas.
This happened after billions of these tiny creatures died and were covered by mud and sand from eroding rocks, which eventually turned into sedimentary rock and trapped the organic material deep underground
What is an oil slick?
An oil slick is a thin layer of oil that spreads out over the surface of the water
What are skimmers?
Skimmers are special boats that scoop or vacuum the oil off the top of the water
What can happen to fish in an oil spill?
Fish ingest the oil which can make them very sick, and the oil can cause their fins to wear away (fin erosion) and affect their ability to grow and reproduce.
What is an oil field?
An oil field is a place deep underground where a lot of oil is trapped between layers of rock
What is an oil sheen?
This is a super-thin, rainbow-colored layer of oil that forms when a spill spreads out even more than a slick
What is an offshore rig?
This is a giant structure in the ocean used to drill for oil found under the sea floor