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SEARCH FOR AIR FRANCE FLIGHT
447.
COLLEEN, WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF
THESE LARGE CLUSTERS, ITEMS,
WHATEVER THEY ARE SEEN IN THE
SATELLITE IMAGES.
DO YOU THINK IT COULD BE THE
PLANE?
>> YOU KNOW, WOLF, THIS IS SUCH
A REMOTE PART OF THE OCEAN THAT
SEEING LARGE GROUPS OF OBJECTS
LIKE THIS, WHAT COULD CONSIDER
TO BE A DRIFTING PATTERN OF
AIRCRAFT PARTS, I THINK IT'S
VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THESE
OBJECTS CLOSE TOGETHER.
THE SIMULATIONS THAT WE WERE
JUST DISCUSSING THERE THAT MY
COLLEAGUE IS DOING PREDICTED
THAT THE DEBRIS WOULD STAY
FAIRLY CLOSE TOGETHER, CLUMPED
TOGETHER AS IT DRIFTED AROUND.
SO THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH THE
MODELS AND I'M VERY ENCOURAGED
BY THE RECENT INFORMATION.
>> LET ME BRING ERIC IN.
YOU KNOW THE INDIAN OCEAN WELL,
ERIC.
IF THIS PLANE CRASHED, LET'S SAY
AFTER 19 DAYS, AND THERE'S
DEBRIS FROM THE PLANE, WRECKAGE
FROM THE PLANE, YOU KNOW THE
WATERS, YOU KNOW THE CURRENTS,
YOU KNOW THE WEATHER.
WOULD THEY ALL GENERALLY BE IN
THE SAME AREA PRESUMABLY OR
WOULD THEY BE SPREAD OUT OVER 19
DAYS OVER A WIDE RANGE OF THE
INDIAN OCEAN?
>> WELL, I THINK WHAT YOU WOULD
SEE IS THAT THERE ARE CLUMPS OF
DEBRIS JUST AS WHAT WE'RE SEEING
NOW.
SO I ALSO THINK THIS IS AN
ENCOURAGING SIGN.
YOU WOULD SEE THAT THERE'S
DEBRIS FIELDS THAT MOVE AWAY BUT
WITHIN THE DEBRIS FIELDS THERE
MAY BE A FEW MILES IN DIAMETER,
YOU WOULD SEE MUCH HIGHER
CONCENTRATIONS OF DEBRIS, YES.
>> SO IF THEY IDENTIFY THIS
DEBRIS AS BEING FROM THE PLANE,
WRECKAGE, COLLEEN, PRESUMABLY IT
COULD BE HUNDREDS OF MILES AWAY
FROM THE SEABED WHERE THE ACTUAL
PLANE -- IF THE PLANE IS ON THE
BOTTOM WHERE IT'S LOCATED?
>> WELL, WE'RE PREDICTING -- THE
CURRENTS ARE TAKING THE DEBRIS A
MILE AN HOUR OR 24 MILES A DAY.
WE'RE TALKING SEVERAL HUNDRED
MILES OF TRAVEL.
IF YOU BACK THE DEBRIS FIELD UP
TO THE POTENTIAL POINT OF
IMPACT, THAT'S WHERE WE SHOULD
BE LOOKING.
AND YES THE BEACONS ARE GOING TO
BE SEVERAL MILES DOWN ON THE
FLOOR.
WHEN WE DEPLOY THE TOWED PINGER
LOCATOR, WE PUT THEM DOWN AS
CLOSE TO THE SEAFLOOR AS WE CAN
SO THEY GET THE BEST SHOT OF
FINDING THE SIGNAL.
>> ASSUMING IT'S STILL BEEPING
SOMETHING BECAUSE WE'RE
CONCERNED ABOUT THE BATTERIES
RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL HAVE MORE ON THAT LATER
COMING UP HERE IN "THE SITUATION
ROOM."
ERIK, YOU'VE DESCRIBED THE
CURRENTS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN, IN
YOUR WORDS, A MINI HURRICANE.
YOU SAY THESE ARE LIKE MINI
HURRICANES.
EXPLAIN WHAT YOU MEAN.
>> WELL, WHAT I MEAN IS THAT
THERE ARE VORTICES AND THEY MOVE
AROUND.
JUST LIKE HURRICANES, IF YOU SEE
THEM ON SATELLITE IMAGES, THEY
HAVE GIANT EYES AND MOVE AROUND.
SO ARE THE EDDIES WHICH WE CALL
THEM IN THE OCEAN.
THEY ARE NOT AS NEARLY AS
VIOLENT OR DAMAGING AS
HURRICANES THEMSELVES BUT THEY
HAVE THE SAME PHYSICS, THE SAME
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES.