This note presents some preliminary results of a still-incomplete detailed analysis of observations on the property distributions and currents in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, with primary emphasis on the Eastern Loop Current. Observations were obtained aboard the R/V ALAMINOS in June 1966, 1967

Hubertz, J. M.

Nowlin, W. D., Jr.

Reid, R. O.

English

Yale University

      P.O. BOX 208118 | NEW HAVEN CT 06520-8118 USA | PEABODY.YALE. EDU   JOURNAL OF MARINE RESEARCH The Journal of Marine Research, one of the oldest journals in American marine science, published important peer-reviewed original research on a broad array of topics in physical, biological, and chemical oceanography vital to the academic oceanographic community in the long and rich tradition of the Sears Foundation for Marine Research at Yale University.  An archive of all issues from 1937 to 2021 (Volume 1–79) are available through EliScholar,  a digital platform for scholarly publishing provided by Yale University Library at  https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/.  Requests for permission to clear rights for use of this content should be directed to the authors, their estates, or other representatives. The Journal of Marine Research has no contact information beyond the affiliations listed in the published articles. We ask that you provide attribution to the Journal of Marine Research.  Yale University provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes only. Copyright or other proprietary rights to content contained in this document may be held by individuals or entities other than, or in addition to, Yale University. You are solely responsible for determining the ownership of the copyright, and for obtaining permission for your intended use. Yale University makes no warranty that your distribution, reproduction, or other use of these materials will not infringe the rights of third parties.  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/   A Detached Eddy in the Gulf o.f Mexico' W. D. Nowlin, Jr., J.M. Hubertz, and R. 0. Reid Department of Oceanography Texas A & M University College Station, Texas This note presents some preliminary results of a still-incomplete detailed analysis of observations on the property distributions and currents in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico, with primary emphasis on the Eastern Loop Current. Observations were obtained aboard the R/v ALAMINOS in June 1966, 1967. Previously, currents in this area have been inferred from observations at stations widely spaced, say, from 8 5 to l 6 5 km apart. Data from such observa-tions have not been adequate for a detailed study of the formation and dissipa-tion of detached eddies in the eastern Gulf. For example, if limited data had been taken along the transects shown between A and B in Fig. 1 during the same periods as our observations, only one major circulation feature would have been indicated in this area-a loop current comprised of the Yucatan Current along the eastern edge of the Yucatan Shelf and its downstream ex-tension Rowing on a clockwise course through the region. With data from closely spaced stations obtained in as short a time as possible, the picture is very different. Fig. 1 clearly indicates the presence of a large detached eddy just north of the eastern Gulf Loop Current. The depth of the 22°C isothermal surface as inferred from BT observations obtained in June 1967 on cruise 67-A-4 is as shown. In the water within the eddy as well as in that southeast of the Loop Current, salinity values at the core of the subtropical salinity maximum were greater than 36.7°/oo; maximum salinity values along the axis of the shear zone between the eddy and the Loop Current were less than 36. 5 ° / oo. Surface speeds at the current core of the eddy ranged from 2 to 3 knots, as indicated by GEK measurements; re-presentative values are shown in Fig. r. From dynamic calculation, assuming geostrophic Row, we have obtained maximum geostropic speeds of approxi-mately 1.5 knots at the sea surface relative to the 1350-decibar surface. Based r. This work was supported by the Office of Naval Research under contract Nonr 2119 (04) with the Texas A & M Research Foundation. Accepted for publication and submitted to press 12 February 1968. 185 186 2 8 ° 26° 24° 22° a GEi( STATIO NS • BT STATI ONS I. I . I ,I' I 0 100 200 cm/sec 00• , ., . o :,---·' . o • o • ... 'Journal of Mari ne Research [26,2 30° 26° 24° ... ... 90° 88° 86° 84° 82° Fig. I on repeated crossings along the western edge of the eddy, the positi on and strength of the eddy seemed littl e altered during a two-week interval. W e beli eve that the results of cruise 67-A-4 have, for the fir st time, provided suffi cient data on which to establi sh positi vely the existence of a detached eddy in the eastern Gulf of M exico. 

A detached eddy in the Gulf of Mexico

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A detached eddy in the Gulf of Mexico

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