Surface Circulation in Northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Surface Circulation in Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Author: Kirby L. Drennan

Publisher:

Published: 1963

Total Pages: 158

ISBN-13:

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The general features of the surface circulation in the northeastern Gulf are presented from an analysis of surface density distribution and an extensive drift bottle study. Results of drift bottle study are based on 6,400 recoveries. Twenty cruises were conducted in the regions east and south of the Mississippi Delta, during the period September 1960-October 1962. Data obtained at this time indicate a surface flow of approximately 0.7 kt. to the east and northeast during March-June. Hydraulic heads formed by discharge from eastern Passes extend some 70-90 miles seaward. Convergence lines associated with strong density gradients are commonly found along southern boundary of these areas. Surface circulation for the area is depicted as follows: An eastward flow during spring and early summer, which diverges into northeast and southeast flow at varing distances east of the Delta depending on local winds and river discharge; a southwest flow over continental shelf during late summer and fall, which appears to continue westward and into southwestern Gulf. The existence of the southeast flowing loop current also is indicated in the offshore region southeast of the Delta at this time. Flow during winter months is to the southeast and appears to be a result of the northward migration of the loop current. (Author).

Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current
Understanding and Predicting the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current

Author: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Publisher: National Academies Press

Published: 2018-05-23

Total Pages: 117

ISBN-13: 0309462207

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One of the most significant, energetic, yet not well understood, oceanographic features in the Americas is the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System (LCS), consisting of the Loop Current (LC) and the Loop Current Eddies (LCEs) it sheds. Understanding the dynamics of the LCS is fundamental to understanding the Gulf of Mexico's full oceanographic system, and vice versa. Hurricane intensity, offshore safety, harmful algal blooms, oil spill response, the entire Gulf food chain, shallow water nutrient supply, the fishing industry, tourism, and the Gulf Coast economy are all affected by the position, strength, and structure of the LC and associated eddies. This report recommends a strategy for addressing the key gaps in general understanding of LCS processes, in order to instigate a significant improvement in predicting LC/LCE position, evolving structure, extent, and speed, which will increase overall understanding of Gulf of Mexico circulation and to promote safe oil and gas operations and disaster response in the Gulf of Mexico. This strategy includes advice on how to design a long-term observational campaign and complementary data assimilation and numerical modeling efforts.

Surface Currents in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Surface Currents in the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico

Author: G.G. Salsman

Publisher:

Published: 1963

Total Pages: 43

ISBN-13:

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During the 28-month interval from September 1960 through December 1962, drift bottles were re leased periodically from a stationary platform located 11 nautical miles offshore from Panama City, Florida. Of the 951 bottles released, 276, or 29% were recovered. Approximately 67% of the returns have been found along a 200-mile section of coastline extending from Cape St. George west to the Florida-Alabama line; 20% of the returns were from the Florida east coast and Keys; and 12% of the returns were found along the coasts of Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas. Comparison of the drift bottle data with local wind information indicates that the primary mechanism of surface water transport in the vicinity of the release point is wind-in duced currents, which either transport the bot tles to local s or to regions where perma nent or semi-permanent currents can displace them to western or southern shores. The results of this study are also compared with other drift bottle studies conducted in the Gulf of Mexico. (Author).

Circulation Over the Continental Margin of the Northeast Gulf of Mexico
Circulation Over the Continental Margin of the Northeast Gulf of Mexico

Author: Roy D. Gaul

Publisher:

Published: 1966

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13:

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The ocean circulation over the continental margin of the northeast Gulf of Mexico has been delineated on the basis of three years of hydrographic and direct current observations. A wide range of measurement techniques was used at two fixed platforms in the nearshore region off Panama City, Florida, and from small vessels during periodic surveys conducted over a larger area. Evidence is presented for a close coupling between circulation over the continental margin and that in deeper water. The "loop" current, which transports water into the Gulf from the Yucatan Channel, is identified on the basis of water mass characteristics as far north as the edge of the northeast continental slope. Lateral mixing with waters over the continental margin is evidenced by smooth transitions of salinity-temperature relations characterizing offshore and nearshore waters. It is suggested that the loop current is the main driving influence for circulation over the continental margin, especially below the seasonal thermocline. Flow over the continental margin is modified markedly by ocean bottom topography. De Soto Canyon, the most prominent single bathymetric feature, appears to have a dominant influence on replenishment of water in the lower layer over the shelf. A zone of horizontal transition in hydrography and currents has been noted along the break between shelf and slope, especially during the spring months when stratification over the shelf is incipient. ...

Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota
Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota

Author: Noreen A. Buster

Publisher: Texas A&M University Press

Published: 2011-05-30

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 1603442901

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Volume 3 of Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota; a series edited by John W. Tunnell Jr., Darryl L. Felder, and Sylvia A. Earle A continuation of the landmark scientific reference series from the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota, Volume 3, Geology provides the most up-to-date, systematic, cohesive, and comprehensive description of the geology of the Gulf of Mexico Basin. The six sections of the book address the geologic history, recent depositional environments, and processes offshore and along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Scientific research in the Gulf of Mexico region is continuous, extensive, and has broad-based influence upon scientific, governmental, and educational communities. This volume is a compilation of scientific knowledge from highly accomplished and experienced geologists who have focused most of their careers on gaining a better understanding of the geology of the Gulf of Mexico. Their research, presented in this volume, describes and explains the formation of the Gulf Basin, Holocene stratigraphic and sea-level history, energy resources, coral reefs, and depositional processes that affect and are represented along our Gulf coasts. It provides valuable synthesis and interpretation of what is known about the geology of the Gulf of Mexico. Five years in the making, this monumental compilation is both a lasting record of the current state of knowledge and the starting point for a new millennium of study.