Observations on Propagation and Growth of Gulf Stream Meanders,
Abstract
A new method is presented for continuously tracking the location of the Gulf Stream using a moored array of inverted echo sounders (IES). Time series of lateral displacements of the front, shown accurate to + or - 8 km, have been collected along three sections spaced 100, 150 and 200 km downstream (NE) of Cape Hatteras, NC for a period of 12 months. These records are highly coherent at all periodicities longer than 4 days. From the observed phase lags a dispersion relationship is presented for the meanders. As the period and wavelength increase from (4 days, 150 km) to (33 days, 600 km) the phase speed decreases smoothly from 40 km/d to 20 km/d. The meanders exhibited rapid growth at periods longer than 4 days, doubling in variance in each 50 km step downstream.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 01, 1982
- Accession Number
- ADP001061
Entities
People
- D. Randolph Watts
- William E. Johns
Organizations
- University of Rhode Island