Can Massive Oil Spill Cause Huge Landslides, Earthquake - Tsunami?

I think question is important when magnitute of this recent oil spill in Mexico gulf seems to get larger every moment. What I have learnt from oil drilling is that ousted oil is always replaced by water to prevent things like underground landslides.

Now when spill is so massive and totally out of control in bottom of ocean, what will happen for this pocket when it dries out? Can this cause a massive lanslide, earthquake or even tsunami.

Something has bother me all day with this accident, and just few minutes ago I had a terrible sighting from coming huge earthquake - somehow I get feeling from Indonesia where massive earthquake caused tsunami few years ago - and it was also area where massive drillings had taken place for years before the quake.

So my qustion remains - can we get further catastrophe from this huge oil spill if millions of barrels of oil willl leak out from pocket, without replacing it with water?

I hope someone here in ATS can give further thoughts to this question, or find some discussions about this question from media... Is this just a beginning for further disasters?

I haven't heard anything about oil spills causing earthquakes or tsunami's but I can tell you that what can and may make this spill worse is the weather we are having down here. Strong northerly winds coming from the gulf. That is a huge issue right now. The oil is moving faster and the last I heard it was 11 miles from the coast of La. Thank goodness this is not hurricane season yet.

Earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides? I can't see how oil on the surface of the water could cause any of these...not even using the most wild imagination.

However, since we are talking natural disasters in relation to massive oil spills. Imagine the ramifications of this oil spill occurring in tandem with a hurricane. At least we can be thankful that hurricane season hasn't started yet!

Originally posted by Aggie Man
Earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides? I can't see how oil on the surface of the water could cause any of these...not even using the most wild imagination.

However, since we are talking natural disasters in relation to massive oil spills. Imagine the ramifications of this oil spill occurring in tandem with a hurricane. At least we can be thankful that hurricane season hasn't started yet!

I think it is down in the ground the problem could be, you will get huge air pockets wgich can collapse, and then you would have earthquakes.

reply to post by Wondering302

Sorry to hear that!

This accident seems to grow from minute after minute to be as historical catastrophe. Like in many accidents, we have "murphys law" taking place here - one mistep leads to another, disaster to another.

I just get very bad feeling that something is coming because of this event, and its just beginning for something else what is much worst.

Take care and lets hope the best.

reply to post by ChemBreather


Why would there be pockets of air? It's one liquid interacting with another, and they don't mix well.

reply to post by Aggie Man


I'm pretty sure the OP was referring to the massive displacement of oil that once was underground - what happens to the "oil caves" after the oil is gone in so short a time? I don't think they meant just the oil on the surface can cause earthquakes or tsunamis.

ETA: here in PA we have lots of limestone caves, and subsequently lots of sinkholes. Couldn't the areas containing oil 'sink' in a similar fashion? Water and oil have different densities.

[edit on 29-4-2010 by MotherofBlessings]

Yea, it makes sense.

Maybe it will shift around and rile up the New Madrid area. Yuk.

reply to post by ChemBreather

Yes - that is what I meant. Oil is also having its purpose to cool earths core, but I dont know how near this area is for plates edges, or how common earthquakes are there, but millions of barrels of oil suddenly leaked out is amount witch will leave massive pockets of air there.

Just basic logic.

Originally posted by ChemBreather

Originally posted by Aggie Man
Earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides? I can't see how oil on the surface of the water could cause any of these...not even using the most wild imagination.

However, since we are talking natural disasters in relation to massive oil spills. Imagine the ramifications of this oil spill occurring in tandem with a hurricane. At least we can be thankful that hurricane season hasn't started yet!

I think it is down in the ground the problem could be, you will get huge air pockets wgich can collapse, and then you would have earthquakes.

Since there is nothing "pumping" the oil out of the ground, the oil that is coming out is due to pressure. when the pressure stabilizes, then it will cease to flow. There will be no void.

Originally posted by JanusFIN
reply to post by ChemBreather

 

Yes - that is what I meant. Oil is also having its purpose to cool earths core, but I dont know how near this area is for plates edges, or how common earthquakes are there, but millions of barrels of oil suddenly leaked out is amount witch will leave massive pockets of air there.

Just basic logic.

No, it's not. Oil can't be formed in a pocket that contains air. It would rot before turning into petroleum. There is oil, a liquid, then sediment, a solid, then water, a liquid. No air.

[edit on 29-4-2010 by unityemissions]

I saw a episode of mega tsunami's and yes it is possible, another thing I freaked about growing up.

My bad I didn't really pay attention to the thing about Oil spills.

Oil isn't sitting around in big cavities or ponds underground. It is entrained in porous rock. When oil seeps, or is pumped out, of the ground it doesn't leave a void. It leaves less oily, cleaner, porous rock.

These elements include an organic-rich source rock to generate the oil or gas, a porous reservoir rock to store the petroleum in, and some sort of trap to prevent the oil and gas from leaking away. Traps generally exist in predictable places - such as at the tops of anticlines, next to faults, in the updip pinchouts of sandstone beds, or beneath

If a rock has enough porosity and permeability that oil or gas can flow through it, then the rock is a potential reservoir. Although the amount of pore space may not be very much, most rocks, in particular sandstones and conglomerates, have at least some porosity.

www.sjgs.com...

reply to post by Phage


Thanks for that info - I for one, wasn't aware it was trapped in rock. I was one of the 'pool thinkers'.

reply to post by unityemissions

Ok. I am really no expert in geology So if air pockets are impossible to come there, I understand it - but then something what fills these pockets comes from beneath the pockets, like lava? Right?

I didnt really understand that liquid stuff you talk about - what that could be?

I would understand that lava from earths heart would raise level, if so - is it possible to happen sudden eruptions there then?

My question also remains - is that area having normally many earthquakes?

Thanks from replies!

reply to post by JanusFIN


I'm starting to get that same feeling too. When this happened last week I never imagined that this week we would have this huge environmental problem looming over us. Latest local news says the oil should reach the Mississippi River Delta by tonight.

reply to post by JanusFIN

If you're asking if the gulf coast region normally get earthquakes then the answer is no. I've lived here most of my life and have never heard of a quake here.....we're just way too close to sea level. New Orleans and parishes (countys) south of N.O. are actually below sea level. If an earthquake happened here it would be huge news!!

Originally posted by JanusFIN
reply to post by unityemissions

 

Ok. I am really no expert in geology

So if air pockets are impossible to come there, I understand it - but then something what fills these pockets comes from beneath the pockets, like lava? Right?

'tis all gravy. I'm definitely no expert. I'm sure phage will chime in if I screw up, and will greatly accept the ass kicking.

I take your statement a couple of ways, sorry. What fills the pockets is biomass and rocks that have been there for millions of years. No lava is necessary to be directly below it. If a gash is created in the pocket, then the mass of least resistance will fill the pocket. This would be the water above, I think. Oil spews out, water fills the gap. Someone please correct me If I'm incorrect. Thanks.

I didnt really understand that liquid stuff you talk about - what that could be?

The only liquids I was referring to was water and oil.

I would understand that lava from earths heart would raise level, if so - is it possible to happen sudden eruptions there then?

My question also remains - is that area having normally many earthquakes?

Thanks from replies!

My uneducated guess is that this is possible under the right circumstances, but improbable overall. How many oil spills have already happened in the ocean before? How many times has this triggered an earthquake? To my very limited knowledge on the subject, this has yet to happen. Again, if I'm incorrect, someone pease say so.