Ocean modelling by the Australian government Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) shows that the Boeing 777 flaperon recently discovered on La Réunion island could have drifted there from the search zone for Malaysia Airlines MH370 off the coast of Western Australia.

In the aftermath of the disappearance of flight MH370 on March 8, 2014, the CSIRO provided advice to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on the potential drift of buoyant items in the ocean from the suspected crash area.

CSIRO modelling carried out up to end of July shows that the overall drift of most debris is likely to have been north and then west away from the accident site. This means that “the finding of a flaperon on La Réunion does therefore match up with the calculations that place the crash site in the present area being searched”, according to CSIRO.

This video shows an animation of the drift modelling from March 2014 to the end of July 31 2015.

See more from the CSIRO. Credit: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)