Gulf Stream Boundary Eddies off the East Coast of Florida

Abstract

Abstract Satellite infrared data and in situ data were used to study eddies off the east coast of Florida. The surface thermal manifestation of the eddies identified in the infrared data were alternating cold and warm tongues, conforming to the cyclonic spin-off eddies observed by Lee (1975); however, the eddies identified in the satellite data were larger than those observed by Lee. Statistics derived from the satellite data indicated that the eddies had average major and minor axes of 136 and 36 km, respectively. assuming an elliptic shape. They moved northward at an average speed of 30 km day−1, and the average period was 9 days.