RAPID: Chemical Analysis of Atmosphere Associated with Gulf Oil Spill

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

In response to the unprecedented anthropogenic disaster following the deep ocean BP oil spill, which was initiated by an explosion at the Deep Water Horizon oil rig on April 20, 2010 the University of California, Irvine rapidly initiated whole air canister sampling on several platforms of opportunity. They employed their well established and flexible technique of whole air sampling followed by high sensitivity gas chromatographic analysis including straight-chain saturated hydrocarbons from C-1 (methane) to C-12 (dodecane) and aromatic hydrocarbons such as benzene, toluene, as well as and higher molecular weight species, with special attention to the presence of toxic contributors. Where possible, atmospheric chemical species associated with dispersal agents such as Corexit were determined as well. A variety of "platforms of opportunity" were identified. These were the 65 ft vessel "R/V Eugenie" from the deck of which 96 whole air samples were collected between May 20 and May 23. The initial results were so informative that 48 sampling canisters were sent to the R/V Pelican and 96 to the NOAA ship Thomas Jefferson. In addition 120 samples were collected from a Twin Otter aircraft. This RAPID study is one of three that makes up the bulk of a coordinated response to examine trace gas emissions from the oil leak. The second used methane data (AGS-1048798, RAPID: Spatially Enhanced Broadband Array Spectrograph System (SEBASS) Survey Over the Gulf Oil Spill) collected from the same Twin Otter aircraft to map methane plumes and the third RAPID (AGS-1042894, RAPID: Fossil-Fuel Extraction Industry Methane Emission Ground Reference Measurements during the AVIRIS Response to the Gulf Oil Spill) used the remote sensing platform AVIRIS on the NASA ER-2 aircraft to measure methane remotely and on a larger spatial scale. The ER-2 flight plan was coordinated to overlap with the Twin Otter flight plan. From whole air samples and remote sensing, a rough estimate of methane plume size from the oil spill will be realized.