The clay, sand, and other minerals coated in thick, viscous bitumen are a source of oil, economic growth, and environmental concern.
Image of the Day Land Human Presence
Image of the Day Land
Earthy open-pit mines and tailings ponds line the Athabasca River where it flows through the world’s largest field of oil sands.
An astronaut on the International Space Station took this photograph of smoke billowing from wildfires near Fort McMurray.
Fires Human Presence
Acquired June 25, 2010, this natural-color image shows the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.
Water Human Presence
The northwestern tip of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico almost touches the Mississippi Delta in this image from April 29, 2010.
Image of the Day Water
Regions of heavy oil in the Gulf of Mexico are visible in this photo-like image from June 7, 2010.
On July 14, 2010, a silvery gray patch of oil stretched across the Gulf of Mexico about 80 kilometers (50 miles) southeast of the tip of the Mississippi River Delta.
Water Human Presence Remote Sensing
Acquired July 11, 2010, this natural-color image shows an apparent oil slick southeast of the Mississippi Delta.
Acquired July 4, 2010, this natural-color image shows the Deepwater Horizon oil slick lingering off the Mississippi Delta.
Image of the Day Water Human Presence
Acquired in the months after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, this natural-color image shows possible oil patches near the Mississippi Delta.