March 3, 2020 – Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative

Scientists injected bubbles into a chamber column filled with seawater and topped with crude oil and dispersant mixtures to learn more about particle emissions from bursting bubbles. The schematic on the right: SMPS is Scanning Mobility Particle and APS is Aerodynamic Particle Sizer. The photo and schematic are provided by Dr. Joseph Katz, Johns Hopkins University.

Study Measures Size of Droplets Aerosolized from Bubbles Bursting on an Oil Slick

March 3, 2020

Scientists conducted laboratory experiments to learn more about particle emissions when bubbles on an oil slick burst. They observed that bubbles bursting on slicks containing crude oil and dispersant mixtures aerosolize micro-sized droplets (diameter is one thousandth of a millimeter) and nano-sized droplets (diameter is one billionth of a meter).