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22-mile-long oily plume mapped near BP well site[/B]
[B] Study is first peer-reviewed look at ecosystem concern — and questions U.S. optimism[/B]
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[B] [Mile-wide oil plume spotted near BP spill](http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38770508/#slice-2)
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updated 8/19/2010 2:20:00 PM ET
Scientists on Thursday reported results from the first detailed study of a giant plume of oily water near the blown-out BP well — stating that it measured at least 22 miles long, more than a mile wide and 650 feet tall.
While other scientists earlier found evidence of plumes in the area, the new data is the first peer-reviewed study about oil lurking in the water, in this case at some 3,000 feet below the surface. It’s also the first to offer some details about the size and characteristics of a plume not only vast in size but which remained stable and intact during a 10-day survey last June.