A very dilluted oily smell is in the air again today (some smell it, some don't -- count me among those who don't!). The National Weather Service, in conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency and US Coast Guard, is working to explain the phenomena and we'll hopefully have more answers later today. For some of the reasons I highlighted earlier, the "atmospheric" argument doesn't necessarily hold weight -- most notably because of the lack of a strong low level inversion (increase in temperature with height).
One thing that might be doing it though is something known as "wave transport." Essentially, given the NW-to-SE current in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, some of the oil particles might effectively be "catching a ride" toward the area.. not enough to cause serious problems, but enough to produce the irritating smell. We'll hopefully have a more concrete answer for you later today!
Brian
