NASA Satellites Tracking Oil SpillNASA Satellites Tracking Oil Spill

NASA is using its satellite technology to track a Gulf of Mexico current that could affect the direction and speed of the Deepwater Horizon spill that continues to plague that region.

The space agency has been using its technology to help map the spill's trajectory for several weeks, and now has two of its satellites keeping an eye on the Gulf's Loop Current, a warm current that is part of the Gulf Stream.

The Loop Current is warmer than other waters in the Gulf, which means it's also higher in surface elevation. This makes it easier for altimeters aboard the satellites to spot it.

Specifically, the Jason 1 satellite -- a joint effort between NASA and the French Space Agency -- and the Ocean Surface Topography Mission/Jason 2 satellites are taking Loop measurements.

Researchers and scientists trying to contain the spill can use these satellite measurements of the height of the sea's surface to create maps of Gulf currents that may affect the spill.

NASA technology has been integral to the Deepwater Horizon spill cleanup effort. Its ER-2 aircraft, which has a specialized infrared scanner that can provide high-resolution photos of the Gulf shoreline, has been helping the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration track the spill for several weeks.

The scanner -- called the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) -- recently completed its initial assessment of the spill site during 11 flights between May 6 and May 25, according to NASA.

Images of the spill from NASA satellites, as well as those taken by AVIRIS, can be seen on a NASA Web page devoted to its activities to help contain the spill.

The spill created when the oil rig Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank on April 20 has entered its sixth week and is being called the worst in U.S. history. Oil giant BP was leasing the rig when the disaster occurred.

Some estimate that as much as 22 million gallons of oil have spilled into the Gulf of Mexico since the explosion, which killed 11 people. The spill recently reached shore at the lower delta of the Mississippi River.