Gulf of Mexico: earthquakes could cause oil leaks

A study published by Geophysical Research Letters and released by National Geographic recorded 85 underwater mud spills that occurred between 2008 and 2015 in the Gulf of Mexico, which were previously unknown. Most would have occurred after minutes after distant earthquakes, mostly tremors of small or medium magnitude, which were recorded more than 900 kilometers away along the western coast of North America.Fact

is that these earthquakes can affect the nearly 2,000 oil rigs and pipelines and pipelines operating in the region, bringing various ecological risks. "It is not impossible for a platform to be destroyed in a landslide, something that has already occurred," Ian MacDonald, professor of Oceanography at the U.S. university, told Sputnik Brazil. 

In 2004, for example, one of the most damaging spills in U.S. history occurred, that of Taylor Energy, due to a landslide caused by the waves and strong winds of Hurricane Ivan. Since then, hundreds of barrels of oil have leaked daily into the ocean, as it is difficult to contain a leak on the se

abed. To avoid accidents, energy companies and regulators should exercise caution in defining the location of new oil facilities. In addition, seismic detection could also be modified to create an early warning system to prevent ecological disasters before they occur.

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