Measuring surface currents with Lagrangian drifters in the eastern Gulf of Mexico
- Dept. of the Interior, Herndon, VA (United States)
- Scripps Institution of Oceanography, LaJolla, CA (United States)
This paper describes a major field observational study whose results may be used to validate or calibrate remote sensing measurements of ocean surface currents. Over 300 drifting buoys were deployed in the eastern Gulf of Mexico over a one-year period beginning in February 1996. The deployment method was by air in a biweekly schedule of about 12 to 15 drifters per flight. The buoys used were satellite-tracked, Lagrangian surface drifters that float in the top meter of the water column and report positions several times a day for up to several months per deployment. The data from these drifters has greatly helped to characterize the surface flow in the eastern Gulf, with heaviest concentration on shelf and shelf-break waters. Seasonal differences in the resulting drift patterns will be investigated. This information is available for use in comparison with altimetry, SST, AVHRR, and other remotely sensed data sets. The emerging picture of surface circulation from the drifter data is presently being used to {open_quotes}groundtruth{close_quotes} oil spill trajectory model runs. The data are quite useful in defining areas of convergence and divergent flow, jets, eddies, and other mesoscale phenomena in the surface circulation. The study is a cooperative effort between Scripps Institution of oceanography, Florida State University and the Minerals Management Service, to improve the assessment of oil spill risks to coastal resources in the Gulf of Mexico.
- OSTI ID:
- 478121
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-970319-; TRN: 97:002802-0014
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 4. thematic international conference on remote sensing for marine and coastal environments: technology and applications, Orlando, FL (United States), 17-19 Mar 1997; Other Information: PBD: 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the fourth international conference on remote sensing for marine and coastal environments. Technology and applications: Volume I; PB: 741 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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