The Overview: Alberta Tar Sands


Alberta Tar Sands

These satellite images, taken from July 1984 through May 2011, reveal the development of the Athabasca oil sands, commonly called “tar sands,” which lie at the heart of Alberta’s oil deposits. Tar sands mining, which has become a significant issue for environmentalists, has been rapid and extensive, growing to cover nearly 260 square miles of the Canadian province by 2011. Nearly 2 million barrels of oil are produced every day, according to the Alberta government, with production expected to grow to nearly 4 million barrels per day over the next decade.
View the images.