MMS Releases Landmark Study of Historical Physical Oceanography Data of the Gulf of Mexico

A major synthesis of historical physical oceanographic data from the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico has been completed by Texas A&M University and the University of Colorado. Funded by the Minerals Management Service (MMS), the study, Deepwater Physical Oceanography Reanalysis and Synthesis of Historical Data (MMS 2001-064), focuses on waters deeper than 200 meters across the northern Gulf, and from the surface to the seafloor. The area is of interest to the MMS because of increased exploration for oil and gas along the continental slope and rise of the Gulf. This study lays the groundwork for further research into the movement of water at all depths.

An understanding of the movement of water, such as tides and currents, is integral to the understanding of the marine environment and is the focus of physical oceanographic studies. This data synthesis includes much of what has been learned about water circulation in the Gulf of Mexico over the past 50 years and identifies what is still not understood. All available data from governmental agencies, academic institutions, private organizations, and Mexican institutions were collected and compiled into a single database, which is available on three CDs as part of the report. The data were analyzed and the principal physical processes at work in deepwater were identified and prioritized according to the need for additional data. The contractors identified criteria and constraints for designing future studies both in the field and in computer modeling.

The synthesized data paint an interesting picture of water movement in the Gulf of Mexico. The major current in the Gulf is the Loop Current, which enters through the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba and exits through the Florida Straits. The Loop Current is quite strong and is readily visible from satellite imagery as a stream of warmer water "looping" in the Eastern Gulf. Circular eddies of water break off from the Loop Current and transport water across the Gulf to the west. These eddies can create short-term high velocity currents at the surface as they pass by. Surface currents are strongly affected by prevailing winds and storm events, such as hurricanes.

Below the surface, it was once thought that water movement decreased with increasing depth, and very near the bottom little to no water movement occurred. This belief is no longer accepted and observations from the historical data indicate that there are some significant currents near the bottom. The forces that create the currents are still not understood; in fact, it is only recently that these currents have been recognized. In the fall of 2000, investigators in the submersible Alvin felt the forces of these strong currents in a region of the western Gulf. These currents have left evidence at the seafloor. Large furrows that cannot be explained by geologic events are present along the seafloor in the Eastern Gulf.

The information gathered for this report involved the cooperation of government agencies, universities, and the oil industry. While not all of the data are available to the public, all the data were used to develop the picture of the Gulf of Mexico given in the report. The data will be used by oil companies for designing structures that can withstand stronger currents at the bottom. Scientists will use the data to understand the transport of plankton, larvae, and chemicals in the Gulf.

The synthesis of the physical oceanographic data has increased the understanding of the way water moves in the Gulf, but it also opens the door to more questions. Suggestions for additional research include collecting more current data from moored data collectors on the northern slope and the use of data collectors that move with the water. Oil and gas platforms could also be outfitted with instruments to measure currents.

A review panel of three independent experts gave this report excellent marks. Among their comments was "Possibly the best report produced by the MMS studies program." This work is mandatory reading for anyone interested in learning about the deepwater physical oceanography of the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of an ongoing MMS physical oceanography studies program that has invested over $50 million in research.

The study report, Deepwater Physical Oceanography Reanalysis and Synthesis of Historical Data, Synthesis Report, MMS 2001-064, and its three compact discs are available from the Public Information Office (MS 5034) at the following address:

U.S. Department of the Interior
Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Public Information Office (MS 5034)
1201 Elmwood Park Blvd.
New Orleans, LA 70123-2394

Orders can be place by telephone: 1-800-200-GULF; local 736-2519.

MMS is the federal agency in the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the nation's oil, natural gas and other mineral resources on the outer continental shelf in federal offshore waters. The agency also collects, accounts for and disburses mineral revenues from federal and Indian leases. These revenues totaled nearly $10 billion in 2001 and more than $120 billion since the agency was created in 1982. Annually, nearly $1 billion from those revenues go into the Land and Water Conservation Fund for the acquisition and development of state and federal park and recreation lands.

-MMS-GOM-

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