tar balls
Sticky petroleum clumps
Tar balls are clumps of weathered petroleum that wash up on beaches after oil spills or natural seepage.
Ranging from pea-sized to several inches across, they form when crude oil degrades in seawater, becoming sticky, dark masses that cling to sand, rocks, and bare feet: The beach was littered with tar balls after the tanker leak.
- oilSlippery viscous fluid
- oil spillPetroleum released into water
- beachSandy waterside margin
- spillAccidental liquid release
- stickyApt to adhere
black · crude · crude oil · petroleum · black gold · Gulf · Gulf Coast · shore · cleanup · beach cleanup · seabird · blob · residue · sand · ocean · oil slick · slick · pollution
- pollutionair pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, smog, toxic waste
- beach debrisdriftwood, seashells, shells, marine debris, wreckage
- coastal pollutionoil spills, marine debris, plastic waste, sewage, microplastics
- oil spillsoil spill, oil spills, oil slick, oil boom, oil booms
- marine pollutionoil spills, chemical spills, fuel spills, industrial waste, toxic waste
- ship pollutionengine exhaust, exhaust gases, nitrogen oxides, smokestack emissions, soot