Oil Spills

Definition

An oil spill is an accidental or intentional release of liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment due to human activity. This often results in pollution and can be harmful to wildlife.

Related terms

Exxon Valdez Oil Spill: One of the largest oil spills in U.S history that occurred when an Exxon Mobil tanker hit a reef off Alaska’s coast in 1989.

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (BP oil disaster): The largest marine oil spill ever to occur in petroleum industry history (2010), caused by an explosion on the Deepwater Horizon offshore drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico.

Marine Pollution: The harmful effects caused by the entry into oceans of potentially harmful chemicals or particles.