Final trajectory, debris distribution, currents
Hi there. I know that the question was largely discussed, and I remember Takata's contributions. When we use the NOAA/OSCAR currents which are observational (SHOM currents are predictions, the result of a 3D model), it seems that these data are able to describe the debris drift between the 6th of June and the 20th of June and the rotation of the current direction from north north east to north north west. The NOAA/OSCAR time series (not the current maps) show that the current speed nearly doubled between the two periods June 1 - June 6 and June 6 - June 9 (from 0.125 to 0.215 m/s): the drift range between these two period should be roughtly similar. This would give an area for the debris on June the 1st marked by the interrogation marks. Would it suggest that the initial small departure of 3NM to the west of the SALPO-TASIL route (seen on the last known positional ACARS at 02:10Z) has become a large turn to the west ? Maybe not a U-turn but a substantial route alteration (>90°) ?
Jeff
Last edited by Hyperveloce; 7th Aug 2009 at 14:25.