Oil spill trajectory on the northern British Columbia coast

Along the coast, under the influence of the dominating southeast winds and abundant freshwater coastal input, the coastal current flows to the northwest for most of the year. [...] In the simulations described above, the movement of the simulated droplets is controlled uniquely by the oceanic circulation, mostly within the upper mixed layer. [...] The centre of the blue ellipse indicates the mean position of the particles at the end of each of the 15 days of integration and it is oriented along the main axis of the distribution (the direction in which the particle scatter is the largest). [...] The length of its axis is determined by the variance of the data along and perpendicular to the main axis. [...] Also, in contrast to the rest of the year when most particles drift up the coast (northward), the summer distribution is spread more evenly, with particles drifting along the coast south and north of the source.