Contents


Preface

The tragedy of the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill won't soon be forgotten. It serves as a reminder of how much more needs to be done in terms of protecting the environment from disasters. This book provides a comprehensive overview of oil spills from various perspectives. These perspectives shed light on the potential environmental effects of oil

Chapter 1 examines the use of key remote sensing to track oil spills and discusses the

Chapter 2 discusses the relationship between thermal maturity evolution and hydrocarbon cracking. The former is a process whereby the chemical composition of organic matter changes as it is subjected to increasing levels of heat over time. The latter is a chemical reaction that occurs when organic molecules are exposed to high temperatures, which breaks them down into smaller components. These two processes are related in that thermal maturity evolution is a prerequisite for hydrocarbon cracking to occur. The relationship between thermal maturity evolution and hydrocarbon cracking is critical in petroleum geology, as it can give insight into the formation of oil reserves. By understanding the relationship between thermal maturity evolution and hydrocarbon cracking, petroleum geologists can better assess potential areas for oil exploration. The Anambra Basin in Nigeria's Lower Benue Trough serves as the case study in this chapter. According to the chapter, post-maturity status could be associated with deeper

spills, how to identify them from space, and how to mitigate or prevent them.

burial depths, possibly as a result of the effect of Santonian tectonic episodes.

Chapter 3 discusses mechanical techniques for cleaning up oil spills. It describes the use of sorbents, oil skimmers, and containment booms for accidental oil spills. It compares the effectiveness of various sorbent types using experiments and studies. Non-polar hydrocarbons were found in purified water, which demonstrated that additional cleaning techniques were needed because the water did not meet the standards for surface water. The chapter also tests an absorption sock's sorption capacity, which is beneficial for smaller oil spills because it combines the containment of oil and the recovery of oil

Chapter 4 provides examples of local and nonlocal oil spills and discusses how they affect South Carolina's coastal waters and the continental margins of the United States. In 2010, there was a sizeable oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which has a huge number of oil drilling platforms and daily oil tanker traffic. The United States Administration lifted its ban on oil drilling in the coastal waters of North Carolina in 2017. Thus, two inquiries are raised. First, could the coast of Carolina be affected by an oil spill in the Gulf? Second, under typical environmental conditions, could an oil spill reach the beaches if it occurred off the coast of North Carolina in the future? This chapter offers

greatest obstacles to remotely monitoring oil spills.

compounds.

answers to both of these questions.
