Coupling of the Surface and Near-Bottom Currents in the Gulf of Mexico.

ABSTRACT: Coupling between the surface and near-bottom currents in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) has been reported in many case studies. However, geographical variations of this coupling need more examination. In this study, surface geostrophic currents derived from satellite-observed sea surface height and subsurface currents from a collection of deep ocean moorings are used to examine the surface and bottom coupling in different parts of the GoM. The short-period (30-90 days) fluctuations generated by the Loop Current (LC) and the LC eddies (LCEs) have a more vertically coherent structure and stronger deep ocean expressions than the long-period fluctuations (>90 days). In addition, the strength of the coupling is modulated by the long-period variations of the LC and LCE sheddings. Moreover, the surface

SUBMITTER: Zhu Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7685172 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature