That number comes from Skytruth
48356*1000^2*12.5E-6
60445
604450.0 * 900 /1000*7.3
3971236 barrels
which is 132000 barrels/day over 30 days.
48356 km^2
1/4mil oil thickness on the water's surface, which is about 12.5um. A typical hair off the top of your head is 70um. The number I've seen for oil sheen is about 1.4 mils, but I like to be conservative.
1000*1000 m^2/km^2
900 kg/m^3
7.3 barrels per metric ton
Almost 4 million barrels, which is just not possible. Is it ? I don't know, take a look at that satellite picture again.
F*ck.
Let's work the other way. Assume that it's been leaking 5000 barrels per day for 30 days.
We go from barrels -> metric tons -> kg -> m^3 -> m^2 -> km^2
5000*30/7.3*1000/900/12.5E-6
1.8264840182648404e9
1826 km^2 - a square 42km on a side. That sure as F*ck ain't right either. Look at that picture again. Multiply the calculated surface area by 10, i.e. say the spill is really more like 50000 barrels a day - then we're talking 18260 km^2, a square 135 km on a side, which is more like it.
Don't think it's possible ? Look at the sat picture. The thing is depressingly big.
My point, 5000 barrels/day ? Bullshit. Not only were they lying, they continued to lie.
Does it matter ? I'm not sure, maybe the US of Incompetence wouldn't have f*cked around for 2 weeks before doing something if they knew the leak was 50000 barrels/day and not 5000. Too bad there wasn't some way to have that oil spill spew out of our TeeVees and into our living rooms.
Discuss...
P.S. This was all BARRELS not GALLONs. Multiply by 42.