Gulf Stream path and thermocline structure near 74°W and 68°W

The SYNoptic Ocean Prediction (SYNOP) experiment had the goal of providing a physical understanding of energetic mesoscale eddy processes in the Gulf Stream. In the SYNOP Inlet Array off Cape Hatteras and in the Central Array near 68°W moored observations were collected from October 1987 through August 1990. The Inlet Array measured the surface path and bottom currents where the Gulf Stream leaves the continental margin to enter the deep water regime. The cross-stream slope of the thermocline steepened linearly with path curvature, consistent with gradient wind balance. Structures are illustrated in the mapped fields consistent with baroclinic instability wherein troughs steepen and rings form