Monthly Archives: April 2014

CARTHEClassroom MaterialsLesson Plans Lesson Plan: Monitoring Marine Oil Pollution: Using SAR and Optical Data to Detect and Track Surface Oil Envisat MERIS Full Resolution Level 1B image from 29-4-2010.

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is now commonly used for operational oil spill monitoring. During major spills, SAR data from different satellites give an overview of the areas affected and provide information on the direction in which surface oil is drifting. SAR is also used to monitor illegal discharges from ship traffic or offshore operations. In Read More

Apps & Interactive SitesClass ProjectsClassroom MaterialsDeep-C Class Project: Oil, Oil Everywhere Credits: CPALMS.ORG

A Hands-On Activity for Children Ages 4-14 The 2010 Deepwater Horizon explosion ultimately led to upwards of 5 million barrels (386 Olympic-size swimming pools) of oil saturating the northeastern Gulf of Mexico. This event threatened 8 national parks and 400 species and heavily impacted the economic well being of Gulf States. Cleanup of the spill proved to Read More

Class ProjectsClassroom MaterialsDeep-C Class Project: What Drives Ocean Currents? gulf_stream_currents

A Hands-On Activity for Children Ages 10-14 An ocean current is the movement of water in the ocean. Oceanic currents are driven by tides, winds, and differences in water density. Density is defined as the number of things, in this instance, molecules, in a certain area. Water density is affected by the number of salt Read More