What Happens When an Oil Spill Occurs?

Assessing Impact

Assessing impact means determining the extent of a spill. This map shows how far the oil had traveled about two months after the Exxon Valdez was grounded.

  !   Use the ruler tool to measure the distance the oil had traveled on day 56. Use the measurement to calculate the average rate the oil spread per day.

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  !   Click the Where on Earth? button to see a larger-scale map to help you put this map in perspective.