Some Evidence for Long-Period Barotropic Waves in the Florida Current

Abstract

A large number of vertical profiles of horizontal current were observed during the last two years in the Florida Straits. For a two-week set of observations, it is found that westward meandering of the Florida Current is accompanied by a reduction of the overall volume transport through the Straits of Florida, deep southward flow, and a deepening of the midstream isothermal field. The meandering motion for the observed case is interpreted as a predominantly barotropic wave with a time scale of several days.