Leaky rainbow

 

It is colorful, but it is not a rainbow

Passers-by were taken by surprise by the petroleum product drip "rainbow" that appeared in the parking lot beneath their feet.

 

Choptank and Double Skin

Off loading

 

Ripples in the water reflect an oil tank barge and its tug at an offloading facility.   

 

Both the tugboat "Choptank" and the oil barge "Double Skin 56" belong to the Vane Brothers Company of Baltimore, Maryland.  The company has been in operation since 1898.

 

The oil barge is of the 50K BBL capacity class; if loaded 100% full, it could hold 56K+ BBL.  It was built in 2006 by Jeffboat of Jeffersonville, Indiana.  That company closed down in 2018; the site on the Ohio River had located a shipyard since 1834, initially as the Howard Shipyard, which built steamboats.

The tugboat "Choptank" is the fifth "Patapsco" class tug designed by Frank Basile of Entech and Associates of Houma, Louisiana.  It was constructed by Thoma-Sea Boat Builders of Lockport, Louisiana.  In all, fifteen "Patapsco" class tugboats were produced between 2004 and 2009.  Naval architect Frank Basile passed away in 2018; over 600 vessels of his designs were built.

 

Spill flowing

Spilling and dispersing

A wet parking lot reveals the petroleum product drips and leaks on the street beneath our feet.  As light is reflected and refracted by the layers of differing thicknesses, colorful "rainbows" are produced by the thin film interference.  The slight slope of the lot shows the flow and spread of the spilled product.

 

Street rainbow

Rainbow drip

A brief rain shower revealed this petroleum product drip that had previously not been seen in the street beneath our feet.  The colorful "rainbow" effect is caused by constructive and destructive interference.  

Drip trail

Constructive and destructive interference

Rainbow road

Light reflected by petroleum products drops on a rain soaked street creates colorful patterns.

A moving vehicle left this drip trail on the street beneath our feet.