Latest satellite images show Gulf oil slick shrinking, breaking apart into patches

Satellite images show oil spill breaking apart

UNDATED — The latest satellite image of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico indicates it has shrunk since last week. But scientists say that only means some of the oil has gone underwater.

Hans Graber of the University of Miami Center for Southeastern Tropical Advanced Remote Sensing said Monday the new image found oil covering about 2,000 square miles. The slick was roughly 3,400 square miles last Thursday.

Graber says the apparent shrinkage came about because some of the oil that had been visible at the surface has been mixed into the water, as strong winds have kicked up waves.

The new image also shows that patches of oil have begun to break away from it. But it’s not clear when any sizable amount of oil will reach land.