Observation of a Subsurface Oil-Rich Layer in the Open Ocean

A layer of water at a depth of 200 meters containing 3 to 12 milligrams per liter of oil was found during February and March 1978 over a distance of 800 nautical miles in the southwest North Atlantic and the eastern Caribbean. The geochemistry and carbon-14 activity of the oil shows it to be a weath...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Science (American Association for the Advancement of Science) 1979-09, Vol.205 (4410), p.999-1001
Main Authors: Harvey, George R., Requejo, Adolfo G., McGillivary, Philip A., Tokar, John M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cruises
Fatty acids
Geochemistry
Hexanes
Hydrocarbons
Marine chemistry
Observations
Oceans
Offshore oil fields
Origin
Petroleum in submerged lands
Petroleum research
Radiocarbon
Sea water
Seas
Sterols
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Summary:A layer of water at a depth of 200 meters containing 3 to 12 milligrams per liter of oil was found during February and March 1978 over a distance of 800 nautical miles in the southwest North Atlantic and the eastern Caribbean. The geochemistry and carbon-14 activity of the oil shows it to be a weathered crude, probably from a submarine seep. Although the dimensions of the oily layer were not determined, conservative estimates indicate that more than 1 megaton could have been present.
ISSN:0036-8075
1095-9203
DOI:10.1126/science.205.4410.999