Bathymetric effects on the Caribbean western boundary current as seen with over-the-horizon radar

A 5-hour test using a decametric over-the-horizon (OTH or ionospheric) radar in Texas produced a map of radial surface currents over a 1.2 million square-kilometer area of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. The map reveals mesoscale features of the Caribbean western boundary current with 10-15-km resolution, showing details not previously seen. Of particular interest are eddies and bifurcations apparently caused by bathymetric features.