Question

Can someone help me with this? It's for marine science. I will fan + medal the best answer :)

Outline the causes of oil spills, the process of cleaning up an oil spill and the prevention of oil spills. Be sure to include what you think should be done to help prevent them.

Answer 1

Causes of oil spills:
-Boats and tanker accidents in the ocean
-Oil runoff from the land
-Tectonic plates shifting - they may release oil from reserves trapped under the ocean floor
-Storage tanks are a common source of oil spills
-On land, storage tanks and pipes can be damaged by things like hurricanes, resulting in leaks of -all sizes, and in the ocean, bunkering can lead to the release of large amounts of oil.

Process of cleaning up:
-Agencies responsible for cleaning up oil spills -- like the Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency -- have some clever and relatively simple methods

-If a crew can reach a spill within an hour or two, it may choose containment and skimming to clean up the slick. Long, buoyant booms which float on the water and a skirt that hangs below the water contain the slick and keep the oil from spreading out. T­his makes it easier to skim oil from the surface, using boats that suck or scoop the oil from the water and into containment tanks.

-sorbents -- large sponges that absorb the oil from the water.
-Chemical and biological agents: helps to break down the oil
-Vacuums: remove oil from beaches and water surface

Prevention of oil spills:
-In order to prevent oil spills, it's important to ensure that there is always at least one extra layer of protection between the oil and the surrounding area. So if the oil is stored in drums or barrels, don't just set those barrels down on the shop floor, and don't just pile them onto the tractor trailer either. That's just asking for trouble.

- Secondary containment - methods to prevent releases of oil or hydrocarbons into environment

-
Double-hulling - build double hulls into vessels, which reduces the risk and severity of a spill in case of a collision or grounding. Existing single-hull vessels can also be rebuilt to have a double hull

i hope i helped :)

Answer 2

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/activity/simulate-oil-spill-cleanup/?ar_a=1

Answer 3

1. Build background on the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Distribute copies of the handout Oil Spills in Marine Environments for independent or small-group reading. Download and display the map Gulf of Mexico: A Geography of Offshore Oil from the October 2010 issue of National Geographic magazine. Describe for students the events that occurred on April 20, 2010. On the map, point out the location of the Macondo well—the site of the leak and the accidental destruction of the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig. Gesture to point out the loop current and explain how the oil has been distributed throughout these regions by currents, waves, winds, and tides.

2. Introduce the simulation.
Tell students that they will use a model to simulate an oil spill and its cleanup. Divide students into small groups of 3-6 students each. Have groups move to their assigned stations where materials are set out. Distribute copies of the worksheets Observations Before the Use of Dispersant and Observations After the Use of Dispersant to each group. Assign each member of the group a specific role—observer, data collector, and oil remover. Multiple students can have the same role in each group.

3. Explore the vocabulary.
Point out the definitions at the bottom of the handout Oil Spills in Marine Environments of types of equipment used to clean up oil spills: absorbers, booms, dispersants, and skimmers. Those same definitions can be found in the Background and Vocabulary tab of this activity. Ask students to observe the supplies they have available and discuss which supplies might represent each type of equipment used to clean up oil spills.

4. Have students simulate the oil spill.
Have students measure four tablespoons of vegetable oil and use a fork or a whisk to mix it with 1-4 drops of food coloring. Ask: What do you think the oil and food coloring represent? Explain to students that the oil represents crude oil and the food coloring represents chemicals trapped inside of the oil. Make sure they understand that the food coloring will not mix completely with the oil. Next, have students carefully pour the dyed oil into the center of the container with water and float a one-inch craft stick in the middle of the oil spill. Tell students that the craft stick represents a ship.

5. Have students simulate cleanup efforts before the use of dispersant.
Ask the oil remover in each group to use the supplied materials—pieces of cotton, cardboard, and paper towels smaller than one inch—to try to remove the oil before it reaches the sides of their container. Rotate around the groups and ask the observers to orally describe what the oil removers are doing and what material they are using. The data collector for each group should list the properties of each material and designate them as booms, skimmers, absorbers, or dispersants in columns 1 and 2 of the worksheet Observations Before the Use of Dispersant. Then the group should discuss and complete columns 3 and 4 together.

6. Have students simulate cleanup efforts after the use of dispersant.
After students have tried all other provided materials and completed the first worksheet, have them add a few drops of name-brand dishwashing soap and complete columns 1, 2, and 3 of the worksheet Observations After the Use of Dispersant. Then have a whole-class discussion. Ask:
What happened to the oil? Why?
What happened to the chemicals (dye)? Why?
What color is the water? Why?

7. Have students re-test the first set of materials in the water with the dispersant.
Ask students to predict what they think will happen now that dispersants have been added. Have students re-test some of the supplied materials now that the dispersants have entered the environment. Ask them to add their observations to column 4 of the second worksheet.

8. Have a whole-class discussion about the methods and their possible flaws.
After students have tested all of the materials—both before and after dispersants were added—ask:
Did any method completely remove the oil?
What happened to the chemicals (dye)?
Do you think all toxins or chemicals behave the same way? Why or why not?
Have students compare their results for each material before and after the dispersants were added. Ask students to share some of the successes they experienced and some of the possible flaws that they see with these methods. Ask:
Based on your observations, how effective do you think the Gulf oil spill efforts (equipment types) have been?
Did any of your observations change the way you view the cleanup strategies being used in the Gulf?
Did any of your observations change the way you view the effects cleanup strategies may have on the water quality and wildlife of the Gulf?

Answer 4

Thank you both for your help :)

Answer 5

yuor welcome