I WONDER - What Is An Oil Spill?

Crude oil, a fossil fuel, is used for powering machinery and making plastics. It is extracted from beneath the sea floor and overland. Oil spills, caused by burst pipes or sunken tankers, are sudden ocean pollution events that harm marine life. However, most ocean oil pollution comes from land-based leaks, with only 12% from large disasters.

What is crude oil primarily used for?

How can oil spills occur?

What are the effects of oil spills on marine life?

Where does most of the oil entering the ocean come from?

What percentage of oil spills into the ocean is due to large scale disasters?