Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill - Landsat 5

On April 20, 2010, an explosion at an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico resulted in a major oil spill. Since then, emergency response efforts have been underway to cap the leaking well system and contain the growing oil slick before it reaches wildlife refuges, fisheries, and beaches along the southern coast of the United States. Landsat imagery, acquired by the U.S. Geological Survey on May 9 shows the extent of the oil slick. The Landsat data are being used by emergency response teams to monitor the extent and movement of the slick.