Investigation of Pressure and Pressure Gradients along the Louisiana/Texas Inner Shelf and Their Relationships to Wind Forcing and Current</b>

Investigation of Pressure and Pressure Gradients along the Louisiana/Texas Inner Shelf
and Their Relationships to Wind Forcing and Current Variability

The Minerals Management Service (MMS), Gulf of Mexico OCS Region, announces the availability of a new study report, Investigation of Pressure and Pressure Gradients along the Louisiana/Texas Inner Shelf and Their Relationships to Wind Forcing and Current Variability.

Wind events are important forcing agents of water level fluctuations on a synoptic scale over the Louisiana-Texas shelf. The change in coastline orientation from Louisiana to Texas in relationship to wind stress produced different responses of water levels. Along the Louisiana coast, westward winds produced highest coastal water levels, but strong eastward winds produced the lowest coastal water levels. Along the Texas coast, highest coastal water levels are produced by southwestward winds and lowest coastal water levels occur under northward winds. In spite of the robustness of the general responses of water levels to winds, exceptions were observed. Winter storms that blow upcoast (west winds) cause a stronger flushing of coastal Louisiana areas than downcoast storms (east winds).

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 $5.00 by referencing OCS Study MMS 2001-057. 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.

Minerals Management Service
Gulf of Mexico OCS Region
Public Information Office (MS 5034)
1201 Elmwood Park Boulevard
New Orleans, Louisiana 70123-2394
Telephone requests may be placed at
(504) 736-2519 or 1-800-200-GULF
or FAX: (504) 736-2620

U.S. Department of Commerce
National Technical Information Service
5285 Port Royal Road
Springfield, Virginia 22161
(703) 487-4650 or FAX: (703) 321-8547
Rush Orders: 1-800-336-4700

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 disbursements 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.