Modeling the Oil Spill in the Gulf

In 2010, the BP Oil Rig Deepwater Horizon exploded releasing millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Many physical ocean characteristics can effect the flow of the oil. In this activity students will look at the surface winds of 2 buoys in the Gulf of Mexico and graph the data.

Authors: Donna Reinhart, Barbara Waters, Beth Marass; EARTH 2010

Lesson Resources

• PowerPoint | Teacher Notes | Student Hand-out
• Student Introduction to Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill
• Gulf of Mexico Buoy—Student Handout
• Oil Spill Plume—Student Handout #2