Wind and Eddy-Related Circulation on the Louisiana/Texas Shelf and Slope
Determined from Satellite and In-Situ Measurements: October 1993-August 1994

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, announces the availability of a new study report, Wind and Eddy-Related Circulation on the Louisiana/Texas Shelf and Slope Determined from Satellite and In-Situ Measurements: October 1993-August 1994.

This study combines satellite sea-surface temperature, sea-surface height anomaly, current, and surface drifter observations from the Louisiana-Texas (LATEX) continental shelf break collected during the MMS-funded LATEX-A program. The combined data revealed that inner shelf water cools rapidly in autumn through the actions of winter storms and/or upwelling. This study also confirmed that, in autumn, winter, and spring, inner shelf currents are from Louisiana to Texas under the action of westward winds. However, reversals were observed associated with strong eastward winds driven by storms. During the summer wind field turns more northerly, and the inner shelf currents flow from Texas to Louisiana. Upwelling during this time is observed off Texas. Offshore eddies induce an offshore transport of waters.

For more information about this study or the Environmental Studies Program in general, contact the Environmental Sciences Section (MS 5430), 1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard, New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394, telephone (504) 736-2752.

You can obtain copies of the report from the Minerals Management Service, Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, at a charge of $20.00 by referencing OCS Study MMS 2001-025. You will be able to obtain this report also from the National Technical Information Service in the near future. Here are the addresses. You may also inspect copies at selected Federal Depository Libraries.

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 collections totaled nearly $8 billion last year and more than $110 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.