Resonant near-surface inertial oscillations in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico
Author
Gough, Matt K.
Reiners, A.J.H.M.
MacMahan, Jamie H.
Howden, Stephan
Date
2016-04-01Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The inertial frequency is nearly diurnal at 308N latitude which transects the northeastern Gulf
of Mexico (NeGoM). At this latitude, near-surface inertial oscillations can amplify due to resonance with diurnal
wind forcing. Diurnal oscillations have also been attributed to diurnal tidal forcing in this region. Because
tidal forcing, wind forcing, and inertial oscillations are nearly diurnal, a unique series of comparative analyses
are required to determine their relative influence on surface circulation. By comparing surface currents
obtained by HF radar to predictions of the inertial response to wind forcing and barotropic tidal currents, it
is found that diurnal oscillations in the NeGoM were predominantly due to wind-forced inertial oscillations
in June 2010. The analyses provide a unique spatiotemporal perspective of inertial oscillations in the NeGoM
where there is evidence of propagation, frequency and phase shifts, and amplitude variability. Because inertial
oscillations mix the ocean differently than the tides, these results provide insight into how inertial oscillations
potentially mixed oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill in June 2010. Near-diurnal oscillations during
the winter were found to be predominantly due to tidal forcing when wind-driven inertial oscillations were
diminished due to a presumably deeper mixed layer.
Description
The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2015JC011372
Rights
This publication is a work of the U.S. Government as defined in Title 17, United States Code, Section 101. Copyright protection is not available for this work in the United States.Collections
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