Gulf Oil leak's spread to Europe predicted by simulation
Post date: Jul 4, 2010 4:12:11 PM
Florida hurricane season
Once oil becomes caught in the Gulf of Mexico's fast moving Loop Current, it could be carried thousands of miles, around Florida, up the Atlantic coast of the US, and then out into the open ocean.
An animation by the US National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) suggests that concentrations of oil in the water south of Florida will start to become detectable around 70 to 90 days after a leak starts. The Deepwater Horizon rig sank on the 22nd April.
The eventual outcome will be complicated, as the southern US heads further into hurricane season. The scientists are now trying to add simulations of storms' possible effects to the model.
video source: news.bbc.co.uk
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