By AlexSosnowskiAccuWeather.com
Latest on the Weather in the Flight 447Search Area
Search efforts continued Tuesday for the black boxes that may contain valuableinformation as to the cause of Flight 447's demise. A ping detected earlier inthe week was not that of the recorders from Flight 447, officials said.The weather over much of the search area remained free of storms Tuesday andwas expected to remain relatively tranquil the next couple of days. TheIntertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) is now to the north of the region. TheITCZ is a zone of upward motion that leads to heavy thunderstorm activity inthe tropical region of the globe. Thunderstorms near the ITCZ were believed tohave played a part in the role of the crash of Flight 447 earlier in the month.
In the coming weeks, the ITCZ can meander southward again, promoting periods ofstormy weather and rough seas across the search area.
To further complicate salvage efforts over the next several coming months,large clusters of thunderstorms will roll off the African coast about every fewdays. If conditions are right, thunderstorms can develop into tropicaldepressions or tropical storms.
The water depth at the estimated crash site is estimated to be at least 9,000feet deep. An underwater mountain range, known as the mid-Atlantic Ridge, alsolies in the vicinity. This will pose an added problem for searchers.
