Overview

The first observations of deepwater manifestation of the Loop Current and the Loop Current rings in the eastern Gulf of Mexico have been completed using a deepwater mooring deployed at 25.5oN and 87oW at a water depth of 3356 m in a flat bottom area away from the slope water region. This location turns out to be an ideal location to monitor the Loop Current and deepwater currents in the eastern gulf because of its proximity to the Loop Current. The mooring data suggest that a two-layer approximation is a reasonable way to characterize currents at the mooring site with the interface located near 700-800 m. The upper-layer currents are dominated by the Loop Current while generally the upper- and lower-layer currents appear to be decoupled except occasional establishments of coupling between the two layers. Deepwater in the eastern gulf is energetic and barotropic throughout the lower layer, and it appears to be driven by the Loop Current and Loop Current rings.