5 ms·

Well, the ocean currents in the Indian Ocean seem broadly consistent with the idea that wreckage could have drifted from the presumed crash site to Reunion: ht

Well, the ocean currents in the Indian Ocean seem broadly consistent with the idea that wreckage could have drifted from the presumed crash site to Reunion: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Indian_Ocean_Gyre.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/Indian_O...

curtis 11y ago
It only now occurs to me that somebody should have purchased thousands of rubber ducks[1], then traversed the 7th arc[2], tossing one* overboard every mile or so. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Floatees https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Floatees [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_of_Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370_satellite_communications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_of_Malaysia_Airlines_... * Appropriately labeled with GPS coordinates of release, of course.
- b_emery 11y ago
  Here's a pdf of a poster where someone did basically that, using computer simulations of course. Their figure 5 shows debris zones [edit: actually garbage patches] that are pretty close to Reunion http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charitha_Pattiaratchi/publication/267631086_Particle_%28%27debris%27%29_tracking_at_possible_crash_sites_of_MH370/links/5454de2c0cf2bccc490cc541.pdf http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charitha_Pattiaratchi/pu... I'll update if I can find the other refs. Update: To do this correctly, you'd need winds, and the approx windage of the object. Coast Guard search and rescue simulations take this into account. Wind can push objects on top of the ocean currents.
  - curtis 11y ago
    That's a good point about the windage. I'm skeptical that you can really conclude much about the original impact site from a single piece of debris anyway. On the other hand just being able to narrow the origin down to even one half of the arc might be beneficial at this point.
- matheweis 11y ago
  There are buoys that pretty much accomplish the same purpose... See post #38 here: http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/565335-flaperon-washes-up-reunion-island-2.html#post9062874 http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/565335-flaperon-washes-up...
- notmyname 11y ago
  Or try it yourself... http://adrift.org.au http://adrift.org.au

curtis 11y ago

It only now occurs to me that somebody should have purchased thousands of rubber ducks[1], then traversed the 7th arc[2], tossing one* overboard every mile or so. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Floatees https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Floatees [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_of_Malaysia_Airlines_Flight_370_satellite_communications https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analysis_of_Malaysia_Airlines_... * Appropriately labeled with GPS coordinates of release, of course.

b_emery 11y ago
Here's a pdf of a poster where someone did basically that, using computer simulations of course. Their figure 5 shows debris zones [edit: actually garbage patches] that are pretty close to Reunion http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charitha_Pattiaratchi/publication/267631086_Particle_%28%27debris%27%29_tracking_at_possible_crash_sites_of_MH370/links/5454de2c0cf2bccc490cc541.pdf http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charitha_Pattiaratchi/pu... I'll update if I can find the other refs. Update: To do this correctly, you'd need winds, and the approx windage of the object. Coast Guard search and rescue simulations take this into account. Wind can push objects on top of the ocean currents.
- curtis 11y ago
  That's a good point about the windage. I'm skeptical that you can really conclude much about the original impact site from a single piece of debris anyway. On the other hand just being able to narrow the origin down to even one half of the arc might be beneficial at this point.
matheweis 11y ago
There are buoys that pretty much accomplish the same purpose... See post #38 here: http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/565335-flaperon-washes-up-reunion-island-2.html#post9062874 http://www.pprune.org/rumours-news/565335-flaperon-washes-up...
notmyname 11y ago
Or try it yourself... http://adrift.org.au http://adrift.org.au