SURFACE CURRENTS IN THE NORTHEASTERN GULF OF MEXICO,
Abstract
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)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1963
- Accession Number
- AD0413341
Entities
People
- G.g. Salsman
- W.h. Tolbert