Interested in learning more about the BP oil spill and how it was cleaned up? On Oct. 14, U.C. Santa Barbara researcher and Solvang resident Dr. Ira Leifer will discuss his experiences as NASA’s chief mission coordinating scientist for the airborne response to the massive spill in a free lecture at 7:30 p.m. at the Solvang Library, 1745 Mission Drive.
According to information from the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, which is hosting the event, Leifer was the leader of a team of experts responsible for aerial mapping the spill. He also served as an oil spill expert to the media and clean-up crew officials. During the lecture, Leifer will talk about his work on the disaster and discuss lessons that could help ensure more effective responses to future spills.
“Many of us first learned of Dr. Leifer’s work when he was interviewed on CNN and other major media to explain that the volume of oil that was flowing out BP’s well was likely to be far greater than the original estimates,” John Evarts, a member of the Santa Ynez Valley Natural History Society, said in a press release. “We’re very interested in hearing this talk by someone who has been an eyewitness to the greatest oil disaster in the United States.”
Leifer is a leader in research related to natural oil and gas seepage, including remote sensing of atmospheric methane and oil slicks using imaging spectroscopy, and weathering of oil slicks from natural seepage. His research sites have spanned from the Santa Barbara Channel to the Gulf of Mexico and Norwegian and Russian Arctic waters.
This article appears in Oct 7-14, 2010.