Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil
Pelagic tar concentrations have been measured for samples collected monthly in the eastern Gulf of Mexico over a one year period. Analyses of the pelagic tar included gravimetric, isotopic (δ 13 C) and molecular (gas chromatographic) characterization of the total, aliphatic, and aromatic fractions....
Published in: | Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1983
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f83-306 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f83-306 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/f83-306 2023-12-17T10:46:54+01:00 Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil Vleet, E. S. Van Sackett, W. M. Weber Jr., F. F. Reinhardt, S. B. 1983 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f83-306 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f83-306 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 40, issue S2, page s12-s22 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 1983 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/f83-306 2023-11-19T13:38:57Z Pelagic tar concentrations have been measured for samples collected monthly in the eastern Gulf of Mexico over a one year period. Analyses of the pelagic tar included gravimetric, isotopic (δ 13 C) and molecular (gas chromatographic) characterization of the total, aliphatic, and aromatic fractions. The concentrations of pelagic tar ranged from 0 to 26.5 mg∙m −2 of toluene extractable material, with an average of 1.60 mg∙m −2 in the offshore neuston tows and 0.05 mg∙m −2 in neuston tows taken on the west Florida continental shelf. Oblique tows to 100 m depth averaged 0.01 mg∙m −2 . δ 13 C PDB values for the total tar in each tow averaged −27.2‰ with the aliphatic fractions averaging −27.5‰ and the aromatic fractions averaging −27.0‰. Approximately 40% of the tar samples showed a bimodal n-alkane distribution characteristic of crude oil sludge. Based upon an average annual Loop Current discharge of 28 × 10 6 m 3 ∙s −1 through the Florida Straits, it is estimated that approximately 7000 t of pelagic tar are discharged annually from the Gulf of Mexico into the North Atlantic. Approximately half of this may be brought into the Gulf from the Caribbean via the Loop Current, while the remainder appears to originate in the Gulf of Mexico. Possible origins of the floating tar include input from the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Strait, production and transportation operations in the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River discharge, subsurface oil seeps, and major accidental discharges. Large amounts of oil from the IXTOC-I well blowout do not appear to have impinged on coastal waters of Florida. Article in Journal/Newspaper North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 40 S2 s12 s22 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Vleet, E. S. Van Sackett, W. M. Weber Jr., F. F. Reinhardt, S. B. Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil |
topic_facet |
Aquatic Science Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
Pelagic tar concentrations have been measured for samples collected monthly in the eastern Gulf of Mexico over a one year period. Analyses of the pelagic tar included gravimetric, isotopic (δ 13 C) and molecular (gas chromatographic) characterization of the total, aliphatic, and aromatic fractions. The concentrations of pelagic tar ranged from 0 to 26.5 mg∙m −2 of toluene extractable material, with an average of 1.60 mg∙m −2 in the offshore neuston tows and 0.05 mg∙m −2 in neuston tows taken on the west Florida continental shelf. Oblique tows to 100 m depth averaged 0.01 mg∙m −2 . δ 13 C PDB values for the total tar in each tow averaged −27.2‰ with the aliphatic fractions averaging −27.5‰ and the aromatic fractions averaging −27.0‰. Approximately 40% of the tar samples showed a bimodal n-alkane distribution characteristic of crude oil sludge. Based upon an average annual Loop Current discharge of 28 × 10 6 m 3 ∙s −1 through the Florida Straits, it is estimated that approximately 7000 t of pelagic tar are discharged annually from the Gulf of Mexico into the North Atlantic. Approximately half of this may be brought into the Gulf from the Caribbean via the Loop Current, while the remainder appears to originate in the Gulf of Mexico. Possible origins of the floating tar include input from the Caribbean Sea through the Yucatan Strait, production and transportation operations in the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River discharge, subsurface oil seeps, and major accidental discharges. Large amounts of oil from the IXTOC-I well blowout do not appear to have impinged on coastal waters of Florida. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Vleet, E. S. Van Sackett, W. M. Weber Jr., F. F. Reinhardt, S. B. |
author_facet |
Vleet, E. S. Van Sackett, W. M. Weber Jr., F. F. Reinhardt, S. B. |
author_sort |
Vleet, E. S. Van |
title |
Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil |
title_short |
Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil |
title_full |
Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil |
title_fullStr |
Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil |
title_full_unstemmed |
Input of Pelagic Tar into the Northwest Atlantic from the Gulf Loop Current: Chemical Characterization and its Relationship to Weathered IXTOC-I Oil |
title_sort |
input of pelagic tar into the northwest atlantic from the gulf loop current: chemical characterization and its relationship to weathered ixtoc-i oil |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1983 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/f83-306 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/f83-306 |
genre |
North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic |
genre_facet |
North Atlantic Northwest Atlantic |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences volume 40, issue S2, page s12-s22 ISSN 0706-652X 1205-7533 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/f83-306 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences |
container_volume |
40 |
container_issue |
S2 |
container_start_page |
s12 |
op_container_end_page |
s22 |
_version_ |
1785570573682737152 |