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Emergency ResponseHome | Image Galleries | Emergency Response

Oil Color / Appearance

Photo examples of oil colors and appearances, such as silver sheen, rainbow, metallic, transitional, and dark oil slicks on water.

Click on an image below to see the full image.
Patches of silver/gray (S), rainbow (R), and metallic (M) dull brown sheens in a pan of water.

Silver/Gray (S), Rainbow (R) Sheen, and Metallic (M) Oil Colors
(12.01.02, Location: Not available)

Aerial view of oil sheens on the water surface from a sunken vessel.

Sheen Surfacing from Sunken Vessel
(11.01.07, Location: Not available)

View of 3 containers of oil, each of which looks a different metallic color.

Metallic (M) Oil Slick Color/Appearance
(12.01.02, Location: Not available)

Overhead view of a test with oil, being conducted in a boomed area on the water.

Silver/Gray Sheen (S), Rainbow (R), and Metallic (M) Oil Colors
(12.01.02, Location: Not available)

Aerial view of an oil slick that is metallic dull brown in the center, fading to rainbow and silver/gray along the edges.

Fresh Diesel Slick
(11.01.07, Location: Not available)

Aerial view of a transitional oil patch in the bottom half of the photo, separated from a streamer of metallic oil by clean water.

Patch of Transitional (T) Oil
(11.01.07, Location: Not available)

Aerial view of black oil true color dark forming a streamer from a barge.

Black Dark (D) Oil Leaking from Barge
(11.01.07, Location: Not available)

Aerial view of black dark oil on the Mississippi River, with small orangish streaks and patches of emulsified oil.

Black Dark (D) Oil on the Mississippi River
(11.01.07, Location: Mississippi River)

Aerial view of oil spreading out into metallic or dull brown layer, rainbow and silver/gray sheens in and around piers.

Diesel Spill in Marina
(11.01.07, Location: Not available)

Two aerial views of red-dyed diesel on shorelines.

Red-Dyed Diesel on Water
(11.01.07, Locations: Not available)

Aerial view over water, showing all five descriptors for oil color/appearance: silver sheen (S), rainbow (R), metallic (M), transition (T), and dark (D).

Summary: Five Primary Color Codes
(11.01.07, Location: Not available)

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