Oil spills happen when people make mistakes or are careless and cause an oil tanker (a ship that carries oil from one country or place to another) to leak oil into the ocean. ... Natural disasters (like hurricanes) may cause an oil spill, too, by flipping an oil tanker over, causing oil to come pouring out.
An oil spill is the release of a liquid petroleum hydrocarbon into the environment, especially the marine ecosystem, due to human activity, and is a form of pollution. The term is usually given to marine oil spills, where oil is released into the ocean or coastal waters, but spills may also occur on land.
A release of oil into the environment, either leaked or discharged from a ship, lorry, truck etc The major environmental impacts so far have come from normal activities, rather than catastrophic oil spills. Or an accidental release of oil into a body of water, as from a tanker, offshore drilling rig, or underwater pipeline, often presenting a hazard to marine life and the environment.
