7 Shocking Ways to Visualize the Gulf Oil Spill -- Photos, Video and Beyond

You've probably been saturated by coverage of the BP Gulf Oil Spill. This overwhelming event has given us so many moving reports. The gushing, burning and flowing of this spill and the people and animals it is affecting offer us some impactful visuals. We've gathered together the best photos, videos, graphics and apps inspired by the Gulf Oil Spill here. If you feel inspired, here are 6 ways to help.

Underwater Footage

This video was released by BP earlier this week. An NPR analysis of the video estimated that the spill is much greater then what BP has calculated, perhaps 10 times greater, and could be larger then the Exxon Valdez spill spill already.

Crude Awakening

Infographic World created this detailed graphic. It gives a sense of the scale and of all of the factors affected by the Gulf Oil Spill. It's a bit intense so open it up larger and spend some time mulling over the details.

See the Gulf Oil Spill infographic larger.

Imagine the Oil Spill in Your Own Backyard

Paul Rademacher, a Google employee, built this Google Earth Plug-In to get a better idea of the relative size of the Gulf Oil Spill. "It's hard to get a sense of the true size when it's over the ocean floor," his Website reads. You can place an oil spill-sized image over your hometown or a major city. Here's a shot of the New York City and Los Angeles areas compared to the size of the oil spill.

A Real Life Horror Film

This Blair Witch-style Gulf Oil Spill video is from our friends at Oceana. If this doesn't make you immediately sign their petition against offshore drilling we're not sure what will.

Shot from the Front Lines

Intense images of what could be the worst environmental disaster of our nation's history. NRDC's OnEarth magazine staff are on the front lines following the story.

Burn, Baby Burn

Intense fiery coverage of the controlled burn of the BP Oil Spill was recorded by the Coast Guard.

The Truth

SkyTruth is featuring a ton of shocking information on their site about the Gulf Oil Spill, including this Gulf Oil Spill Tracker, which combines photos and information about the spill on a Google map.

As always, Boston.com's Big Picture blog has great visual coverage, take a look at their Gulf Oil Spill images.

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