Sea level variation as an indicator of Florida current volume transport: comparisons with direct measurements
Sea level measurements from tide gauges at Miami, Florida, and Cat Cay, Bahamas, and bottom pressure measurements from a water depth of 50 meters off Jupiter, Florida, and a water depth of 10 meters off Memory Rock, Bahamas, were correlated with 81 concurrent direct volume transport observations in the Straits of Florida. Daily-averaged sea level from either gauge on the Bahamian side of the Straits was poorly correlated with transport. Bottom pressure off Jupiter had a linear coefficient of determination of r/sup 2/ = 0.93, and Miami sea level, when adjusted for weather effects, had r/sup 2/ = 0.74; the standard errors of estimating transports were +/-1.2 x 10/sup 6/ and +/-1.9 x 10/sup 6/ cubic meters per second, respectively. A linear multivariate regression, which combined bottom pressure, weather, and the submarine cable observations between Jupiter and the Bahamas, had r/sup 2/ = 0.94 with a standard error of estimating transport of +/-1.1 x 10/sup 6/ cubic meters per second. These results suggest that a combination of easily obtained observations is sufficient to adequately monitor the daily volume transport fluctuations of the Florida Current. 13 references, 2 figures, 2 tables.
- Research Organization:
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Miami, FL
- OSTI ID:
- 5465470
- Journal Information:
- Science (Washington, D.C.); (United States), Vol. 227:4684
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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