Kuwait Oil Fires
by
idive24
Last updated 7 years ago
Make a copy
Make a copy function allows users to modify and save other users' Glogs.
Discipline:
Science Subject:
Earth Sciences
Kuwait Oil Fires
"A 2008 picture of the mummified remains of a bird, encrusted within the top hard layer of a dry oil lake in the Kuwaiti desert."
Where is Kuwait?
How Did They Start?Iraqui military forces that invaded the country, set fire to over 600 oil wells as part of a "Scorched Earth" policy. The Iraqui soldiers were driven out after the Persian Gulf War by the Coalition military.
January to November, 1991
Chemicals Released6 million barrels of oil were lost and 600 oil wells were set on fire. The smoke produced released a mixture of gases and matter including CO2, CO, SO2, NO x, VOCs, PAHs, H2, acidic aerosols, and soot.
Environmental EffectsHeavy pollution to the soil and air, oil wells, refineries, pipelines and harbors have been destroyed. Half of an industry must be rebuilt; ¾ of country’s producing wells were wrecked. Damaged wells leaked large amounts of oil into pools on the land's surface that threatened fragile desert ecosystems and presented a human safety hazard.The oil turned lakes black and caused animals to eat plants which caused them to get sick. Acid rain fell which harmed human health.Unignited oil formed oil lakes which harmed the earth and soil.
Human Health IssuesThe toxic gases released into the atmosphere were hazardous to human health. The smoke caused people to be ill and have respiratory problems. No death toll was found in research.
Works Cited (SCROLL)"Burned Out: Kuwait's Oil Industry." Gale US History in Context. N.p., 9 Nov. 1991. Web. 26 Mar. 2014. Dimdam, Elaine. "25 Biggest Man Made Environmental Disasters in History." List 25. N.p., 7 June 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Before During After
"Kuwait Oil Fields Burning Gulf War 1991"
B. Smith
There are no comments for this Glog.