NASA water pollution pictures

Satellite imaging gets the measure of Chemetco's major water pollution offence.

 

This sequence shows a visually spectacular water pollution offence.

Here's the first picture, a contextual image showing the location of the former Chemetco copper smelter in Hartford, Illinois, in the Midwest of the United States. 

Image ©NASA 2007 © Europa Technologies 2007 © TerraMetrics 2007  


 NASA image shows location of Chemetco, a former copper smelter, from space

 

Chemetco water pollution from imaginary point 2.7 kilometres above earth

Image ©NASA 2007  © Europa Technologies 2007   © TerraMetrics 2007 

Water pollution image from 2710 metres above earth

Note how close the plant is to the Mississippi River,  a tributary of which can be seen snaking along below the plant.

Chemetco's polluted water entered this watercourse, called Long Lake. 

    

Chemetco water pollution from imaginary point 850 metres above earth

Image ©NASA 2007  © Europa Technologies 2007   © TerraMetrics 2007 

Aquatic pollution image from 853 metres above earth 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now we can see exactly what's going on.  

Polluting waste water from Chemetco, heavily contaminated with zinc oxide sludge, lead and cadmium, is seen as a silvery-grey trail between the two marker pins. 

The distance on the ground between these two points is 300 metres (1000 feet) and Chemetco's toxic sludge reached a depth of 1.5 metres deep (5 feet). 

Amazingly, once you know what you're looking for, you can see this same trail of polluting industrial effluent from Chemetco in an image from a simulated distance of 10 kilometres above the earth's surface, and clearly from as far as 7.5 kilometres.

©NASA 2007  © Europa Technologies 2007   © TerraMetrics 2007 

US Federal evidence photograph showing the visual effects of Chemetco's water pollution in 1998»