Scientists discover oily 'bathtub ring' the size of Rhode Island while studying BP oil spill

Scientists discover oily 'bathtub ring' the size of Rhode Island while studying BP oil spill
(Image credit: John Moore/Getty Images)

Researchers studying the effects of the 2010 BP oil spill have found an oily "bathtub ring" the size of Rhode Island on the sea floor.

An estimated 172 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico during the disaster, and scientists are trying to determine where it all went. A new study suggests that 84 million gallons coagulated on the sea floor around the Deepwater Horizons oil rig.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.