Towards a Lagrangian view of the coastal ocean: adventures with a low cost satellite tracked drifter

How does one collect the necessary information to provide advice about the potential drift trajectories of an oil spill in the complex network of islands and channels on the north coast of BC? At any moment whether a particle goes left or right depends on the stage of the tide, the recent history of the wind, the effect of eddies, internal waves, surface waves and many other things. The answers cannot be found from analysis of a few current meter records. This translation from knowledge of currents at a network of fixed points to the trajectory of water parcels and particles is one of the important uses of ocean circulation models. But is it possible to develop a lagrangian view of the circulation of the coastal ocean of British Columbia based on observations? This talk will present results from the first 6 months of deployments of a low cost satellite tracked drifter.