Abstract:

This dataset consists of near-bottom velocity measurements in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico in the vicinity of 27.5°N and 96.5°W. Funded by the Texas General Land Office, the purpose of the study was to quantify the bottom current variability across the Texas shelf-break with a specific focus on temporal and spatial scales and their relation to cross-topographic exchange. The measurements were made with low-cost Seahorse Tilt Current Meters which were deployed between about 50-150 meters depth along a transect across topography. This novel application of Seahorse bottom current meters to an often overlooked dynamical region was intended to inform fate and transport modeling efforts in the Texas Coastal Zone. The velocity data were obtained in two deployments, 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-06 (six instruments) and 2016-06-06 to 2016-06-21 (two instruments). This dataset supports the publication: Huntley, H. S., McMahon, C. W., Kuehl, J. J., & Kirwan, A. D. (2020). Cross-Shelf Transport Through the Interaction among a Coastal Jet, a Topographic Wave, and Tides. Fluids, 5(4), 181. doi:10.3390/fluids5040181

Suggested Citation:

Kuehl, Joseph. 2021. Bottom boundary layer velocity measurements at the Texas shelf and shelf-break, 2016-05-17 to 2016-06-21. Distributed by: GRIIDC, Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/9VP7F5KM

Publications:

Huntley, H. S., McMahon, C. W., Kuehl, J. J., & Kirwan, A. D. (2020). Cross-Shelf Transport Through the Interaction among a Coastal Jet, a Topographic Wave, and Tides. Fluids, 5(4), 181. doi:10.3390/fluids5040181

Purpose:

The purpose of these observations is to quantify the bottom current variability across the Texas shelf-break with a specific focus on temporal and spatial scales and their relation to cross-topographic exchange.

Data Parameters and Units:

Date [YYYY-MM-DD], Time (UTC, [HH:MM:SS]), eastward velocity [cm/s], northward velocity [cm/s].

Methods:

The Seahorse Tilt Current Meters were deployed between about 50-150 meters depth along a transect across topography on the Texas shelf. The moorings are designated by "M" and number, and were in two deployments "a" and "b." The two deployments were consecutive for repeated moorings. The current meters measure the horizontal directional current velocities about 1.5 m from the ocean bottom. Deployment "a" measured velocities every second, while "b" measured every minute. Mooring sites were M1 (27.6906°N, 96.8135°W, 28.1 m of water), M3 (27.5820°N, 96.6659°W, 46 m of water), M5 (27.4951°N, 96.5456°W, 67.6 m of water), M6 (27.4701°N, 96.5064°W, 74.2 m of water), M7 (27.4443°N, 96.4677°W, 85.6 m of water), and M9 (27.2892°N, 96.2473°W, 203.0 m of water). M7 and M9 were re-deployed with no significant temporal gap.

Instruments:

Seahorse Tilt Current Meters

Individual Files: