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The clay, sand, and other minerals coated in thick, viscous bitumen are a source of oil, economic growth, and environmental concern.
Published Nov 30, 2011
Earthy open-pit mines and tailings ponds line the Athabasca River where it flows through the world’s largest field of oil sands.
Published Nov 5, 2009
Nitrogen dioxide emissions rise with the expansion of bitumen mining operations in Canada.
Published Mar 2, 2012
Acquired June 25, 2010, this natural-color image shows the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico.
Published Jun 26, 2010
The northwestern tip of the oil slick in the Gulf of Mexico almost touches the Mississippi Delta in this image from April 29, 2010.
Published Apr 30, 2010
Acquired July 11, 2010, this natural-color image shows an apparent oil slick southeast of the Mississippi Delta.
Published Jul 11, 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.
Published Jul 15, 2010
Regions of heavy oil in the Gulf of Mexico are visible in this photo-like image from June 7, 2010.
Published Jun 8, 2010
Acquired July 4, 2010, this natural-color image shows the Deepwater Horizon oil slick lingering off the Mississippi Delta.
Published Jul 7, 2010
An astronaut on the International Space Station took this photograph of smoke billowing from wildfires near Fort McMurray.
Published May 18, 2016
Among the most productive oil fields in the United States, Elk Hills Oil Field in California presents a complicated surface in this image from March 7, 2009.
Published Apr 12, 2009
