THE AFTERMATH OF THE KUWAIT OIL FIRE

INTRODUCTION

The war started on the 2nd August 1990, Iraq invaded Kuwait hoping to take control of the oil wells. Later, the United States sent military forces to Kuwait, in order to push the Iraqi forces out of the area. Knowing the odds of winning the war, Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein announced the withdraw of his troops. However, in order to cover its retreat, the Iraqi forces were ordered to set fires to the oil wells.

As a result, over 600 oil wells were set fire.

Everyone might think this war gave serious disasters to both countries. However, most of us would be unaware that it affected all of us. The oil prices went sky high and the Earth in which support our survival became the scapegoat. DOES THE IRAQi LEADER EVEN KNOW THAT HE HAD BROUGH A SERIOUS DISASTER FOR OUR EARTH??? I bet not. Speaking from the Geographical side, you can see the amiss environmental impacts delivered to our Earth.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

DO YOU KNOW?
-In January 1991, the Iraqi forces started pumping oil from storage tanks and tankers directly into the sea.
- 11 million barrels of oil were released into the sea.

AS A RESULT
-The water temperature of the sea decreased by several degrees.

-Oil lakes such as these, were formed in the middle of the desert!

 

-The fires went out of control and continued to burn for ten months!

This Satellite photo is the one taken
after 5 weeks the Fires started.

This image shows before, during and after the release of 1.5 billion barrels of oil into th environment, the largest oil spill in human history. 

-Large volume of smoke covered the blue skies of Kuwait, increasing the chances of the natives to have lung related diseases such as Asthma and Tuberculosis.

Day time photograph of the suburbs during the war.

You can see that streetlights were turned on even in the daytime.

IMPACTS ON WILDLIFE

-30,000 seabirds were killed

-2000 tones of dead fishes

-Resulting from the Oil spilled into the Sea.

With references from NASA.gov

http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/landsat/news/40th-top10-kuwait.html