Here is Mitch Roffer’s latest report on the loop current and how it is influencing the spread of oil from the Deepwater Horizon’s ecodisaster.
Currently, the current is undergoing some significant changes that are helping keep oil from spreading to the Florida Keys and Key West, as well as Cuba and the Bahamas. But as Roffer mentions, there is a lot more to go on this unparralleld ecological tragedy.
Here us quicktime footage showing the developing trends of the Loop Current over the last several days.
And here is an illustration of where the oil has been observed going to. It has yet to be determined what the makeup of the water column is in the grey shaded areas.
Oil progress from the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster as of 5/22/10.
For daily updates, visit me here or check out Mitch’s site.
ROFFER’S OCEAN FISHING FORECASTING SERVICE, INC.
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ROFFS™ OCEANOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS FOR THE DEEPWATER HORIZON OIL SPILL AREA
UPDATED SAT. 22 MAY 2010 (14:00 HRS)
See enclosed PDF analysis as the graphic is enclosed. Today’s analysis is abbreviated as there have not been dramatic changes in the disposition of the surface oil (olive green) and the water that originated from the oil spill area since the first day of the oil spill. See yesterday’s analysis for more details. We thank those who provided comments on grammar and other minor errors in yesterday’s analysis. A revised version is available from http://www.roffs.com/deepwaterhorizon.html .
Today we used infrared satellite data from today and SAR imagery from yesterday in our graphic. We also provide a new Quicktime™ movie of the Loop Current from NOAA satellite data (thank you NOAA) and NASA satellite data (thanks to our partners at USF IMaRS). We continue to see the continued development of the meso-scale Loop Current eddy as evidenced by the continued westward motion of the counter-clockwise eddy centered near 86°30′W & 24°45′N and what appears to be a developing eastern flow from the Yucatan Straits to the Straits of Florida.
Take note that this does not guarantee a long-lived eddy or that the threat of oil, dispersants, tar balls reaching the coastlines of Florida, Cuba, or the Bahamas is over. There is a long time to go with this oil disaster. In the meantime enjoy the Florida Keys, all of the Florida, Bahamian and other beaches and water sports including fishing. We have been receiving reports of good fishing action from many areas in Florida and the Bahamas. Based on today’s analysis it looks like we will have a great Memorial Day weekend next week. Don’t forget ROFFS™ (www.ROFFS.com) will help you find the concentrations of fish or help you with your research and operations.
TAKE NOTE AGAIN PLEASE THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS CONTAINED IN THE WATER MASSES DEPECTED IN GREY. We suspect that it has a mixture of emulsified subsurface oil (maybe oil droplets – maybe more congealed ), water, tar balls, and dispersants. It is a critical issue that several independent scientists with the correct equipment sample these areas, shown as grey shapes, close to the floating oil and farther away both at the surface and to at least as deep as the pyncnocline (and probably deeper). Several independent laboratories should be used. It is also important that the results of these tests be presented to the public immediately. This mixture is not health food for the ecosystem. Please take photos of the environment to document the conditions before, during, and after the arrival of the oil-water mixture.
