Transocean gives bonuses after Gulf of Mexico BP spill
The offshore drilling firm responsible for running the Deepwater Horizon rig has given its top executives bonuses for its “best year” for safety.
Engineers pin hopes on polymer to stop leak, after concrete seal failed
Engineers pinned their hopes on chemicals, sawdust and shredded newspaper to stop highly radioactive water pouring into the ocean from Japan’s tsunami-ravaged nuclear plant. Experts estimate that seven tons an hour of radioactive water is escaping the pit.
Newly Discovered Crack Leaks Radioactive Water Into Sea Off Japan
On Saturday, workers discovered an 8-inch (20-centimeter) long crack in a maintenance pit that was leaking highly radioactive water into the Pacific Ocean, said Japan Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency spokesman Hidehiko Nishiyama.
Flotsam From Japan’s Tsunami to be Carried by Currents and Pushed Onshore
The biggest haul of floating debris will likely be carried by currents off of Japan toward Washington, Oregon and California, then turning toward Hawaii and back again toward Asia, unless wind and ocean currents eventually push some of the massive debris from Japan’s tsunami onto the shores of the U.S. West Coast, said Curt Ebbesmeyer, a Seattle oceanographer who has spent decades tracking flotsam.
BP is finished with coastal Alabama cleanup
BP PLC said Friday it has removed workers and machinery from its deep-cleaning operation on the state’s tourist beaches.
Radiation Leaks Into Groundwater Under Japan Nuclear Plant
Radiation exceeding government safety limits has seeped into groundwater under a tsunami-crippled Japanese nuclear plant, according to the operator, but experts said Friday that it was unlikely to contaminate drinking supplies…
Big Dume Beach, Malibu, California; By Noah Gorelick
An image by Noah Gorelick.
Sebastian Inlet, Florida; By Eddie Jarvis
A surfer’s view of shoreline engineering.
Earth’s Gravity Revealed in Unprecedented Detail
After just two years in orbit, ESA’s GOCE satellite, a European spacecraft that skims the upper reaches of the atmosphere, has gathered enough data to map Earth’s gravity with unrivalled precision, from deep ocean trenches to majestic mountain ranges. The data will be crucial for understanding sea level changes, shifts in ice flows and how ocean currents, which are driven by gravity, respond as the planet warms over the next few decades.