2026 Whirls Cruise — drifter map

Data freshness

Build time (UTC) —

Current time (UTC) —

R/V Marion Dufresne

R/V S.A. Agulhas II

Surface currents

Scrub the shading (speed or ζ/f) through the CMEMS forecast with the time slider at the bottom of the map — 12 h steps from −12 h to +72 h. The flow trails stay the “now” snapshot.

Relative vorticity (ζ/f)

Surface vorticity normalized by the Coriolis parameter, from the same field. Cyclonic (+) and anticyclonic (−) eddies read as opposite-signed lobes. Off by default; toggle it in the Currents tab.

Drift forecast & hindcast (1/3/6 h)

Each line advects a surface point particle by the currents only — no wind, waves, or the instrument's own motion. The hindcast is a current back-track, not the observed track.

Awaiting first fix

Drifters staged but not yet transmitting a position.

Credits & licences

Map rendering by Leaflet 1.9.4 (BSD‑2‑Clause); animated surface‑current overlay by leaflet‑velocity 1.7.0 (MIT). Both are vendored and served same‑origin.

Currents & vorticity from the Copernicus Marine Service (CMEMS).