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Author	Topic: How Big Will the Gulf's Dead Zone Get This Year?	Post a Reply Back to Topics

PhilMils Champion Author Virginia Posts:6,257 Points:1,186,025 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:14:21 AM Ignore PhilMils Report Abuse The predicted size of this year's dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico depends on whom you ask. One forecast model predicts an unusually small area of oxygen-depleted water, while another predicts an extent in line with the recent average. The reason for the difference: The more conservative prediction, made by researchers at the University of Michigan, only takes into account the nutrient-rich agricultural run off from the Mississippi River watershed this spring. While the other prediction, which comes from a Louisiana group, takes leftovers from the prior year's nutrient pollution into account. Visit LiveScience for full article

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Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:14:21 AM

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The predicted size of this year's dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico depends on whom you ask. One forecast model predicts an unusually small area of oxygen-depleted water, while another predicts an extent in line with the recent average.

The reason for the difference: The more conservative prediction, made by researchers at the University of Michigan, only takes into account the nutrient-rich agricultural run off from the Mississippi River watershed this spring. While the other prediction, which comes from a Louisiana group, takes leftovers from the prior year's nutrient pollution into account.
Visit LiveScience for full article

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drpepperTX Champion Author Texas Posts:8,945 Points:752,210 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 10:22:42 PM Ignore drpepperTX Report Abuse Clueless as usual. The "dead zone" has been documented as a result of Mississippi River drainage for decades. I knew folks were dumbed down but WOW! This is beyond ignorance into another realm!
dave27johnson Champion Author Chicago Posts:1,788 Points:409,045 Joined:Feb 2012	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 8:20:27 PM Ignore dave27johnson Report Abuse Let's measure it instead of predict it.
wrunner Champion Author Virginia Posts:4,445 Points:1,137,335 Joined:Dec 2009	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 6:12:46 PM Ignore wrunner Report Abuse It is bad news - no matter the size of the dead zone.
Joeski1 Champion Author New Jersey Posts:10,001 Points:1,741,835 Joined:Dec 2004	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 5:30:38 PM Ignore Joeski1 Report Abuse the dead zone is absolutely the end product of Bp's gulf oil spill... and one day..Bp will be forced to do what's right and restore the gulf floor... buy hybrids and EV's and don't support these fossil fooler morons with your cash!!!! the next big spill could be in your home town
drpepperTX Champion Author Texas Posts:8,945 Points:752,210 Joined:Apr 2011	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 3:44:21 PM Ignore drpepperTX Report Abuse Why is this posted here? Has nothing to do with oil, gas, or energy. Maybe the OP thinks folks will just read the headline and think this has something to do with BP? Likely.
Eugenian Champion Author Oregon Posts:1,867 Points:363,105 Joined:Oct 2009	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 10:46:45 AM Ignore Eugenian Report Abuse The people who caused this catastrophe should be in prison.
ForeignBody All-Star Author Georgia Posts:517 Points:428,875 Joined:May 2011	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 10:24:43 AM Ignore ForeignBody Report Abuse "The predicted size of this year's dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico depends on whom you ask". Well there's a surprise.
jodybull All-Star Author El Paso Posts:767 Points:140,880 Joined:May 2012	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 10:18:50 AM Ignore jodybull Report Abuse It has been a while perhaps, but remember this one? An expert is a has-been under pressure!
jorobins538 Champion Author Chicago Posts:4,732 Points:638,320 Joined:Sep 2009	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 10:16:54 AM Ignore jorobins538 Report Abuse we'll see . . .
fracknsave Champion Author Grand Rapids Posts:1,666 Points:58,000 Joined:Mar 2012	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:45:38 AM Ignore fracknsave Report Abuse This supposed dead zone is of no importance, as man in his cruel, evil, greedy ways will not be content until the 1% has everybody's money leaving the entire earth uninhabitable.
mitt4prez Champion Author Tacoma Posts:1,747 Points:1,246,200 Joined:Nov 2007	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:37:48 AM Ignore mitt4prez Report Abuse You can always trust experts---if you are paying them. Otherwise, they are earning their fee for those who want to bamboozle people.
TXRanger09 Champion Author Dallas Posts:2,511 Points:892,150 Joined:May 2009	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:25:13 AM Ignore TXRanger09 Report Abuse I have go with less runoff = smaller dead zone. I'm losing confidence in what the "experts" say in anything. Maybe we go with common sense for awhile.
PhilMils Champion Author Virginia Posts:6,257 Points:1,186,025 Joined:Dec 2008	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:24:27 AM Ignore PhilMils Report Abuse Note that this does not take into account the impact oil exploration has on the Gulf of Mexico. I find it odd that they would even reference the work done by the University of Michigan, especially since it is incomplete. The best overall university authorities on the Gulf of Mexico are the University of Southern Mississippi and the University of Central Florida, in that order. However, on this particular topic, the Louisiana universities are best. Note that the dead zone agricultural runoff problem is almost all from rivers - such as the Mississippi, Mermentau, Atchafalay, and Sabine Rivers, exiting through or adjacent to Louisiana.
danandmary Champion Author California Posts:4,193 Points:967,725 Joined:Jun 2010	Message Posted: Jun 22, 2012 9:20:03 AM Ignore danandmary Report Abuse It will probably shrink