Evolution and structure of a coastal squirt off the Mississippi River delta: Northern Gulf of Mexico

In early October 1992, satellite-derived sea surface temperature data revealed a 200 km long and 10- to 30-km-wide stream of cool water flowing toward the southwest from the Mississippi River delta region. Satellite imagery and in situ measurements have enabled a detailed study of the squirt's kinematics and subsurface characteristics over a 2-week period. In its early stages, the squirt appeared as a narrow, high-speed (>75 cm/s) jet of water which flowed westward over the Mississippi Canyon, forcing a semi-submersible drilling rig to suspend operations from October 2 to 4. After crossing back onto the shelf, the squirt spread laterally, yielding a mushroom-shaped feature, 75 km wide, which consisted of counter-rotating vortices. Northeasterly wind forcing (averaging 10–15 m/s) and water level setup east of the delta appear to have been the primary mechanisms for evolution of the high-velocity currents. Satellite and in situ measurements demonstrate that the dipole eddy was comprised of a cool, low-salinity, low-density water mass at least 26 m deep in the center and 16 m deep along its margins. This event demonstrates that strong northeasterly winds over the northern Gulf of Mexico can initiate along-shelf and off-shelf flows of cooler coastal waters, contributing significantly to seasonal cooling and freshening of the continental shelf and to shelf/slope exchanges of water. During this event, approximately 100 km3 of inner shelf and river water was transported off the continental shelf, a volume equivalent to 17% of the average annual discharge of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers.