Observations on the variability of the Gulf Stream path between 74°W and 70°W

Document Type

Article

Date of Original Version

1-1-1994

Abstract

Determines the path from the 12°C isotherm at 400-m depth, which was obtained daily for 740 days (April 1983-May 1985) from objective analysis maps of the thermocline topography measured by inverted echo sounders (IESs). Smooth transitions from (i) downstream propagating and growing short-period meander modes, to (ii) standing modes at intermediate period, to (iii) upstream propagating long-period modes were revealed. For periods shorter than semiannual, meanders propagate downstream with speeds monotonically increasing. For periods between semiannual and annual, the entire path shifts like a standing mode with no detectable phase lag within the study region, and its envelope accounts for the local minimum ("node') that has been observed near 70°W. For periods from annual to at least 500 d, fluctuations propagate upstream at about 9 km d-1, and their amplitude decreases to the west in the direction of propagation. -from Authors

Publication Title, e.g., Journal

Journal of Physical Oceanography

Volume

24

Issue

9

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