Observations of strong currents on the West FloridaShelf

Five acoustic Doppler current prooler (ADCP) moorings were deployed across the central West Florida Shelf (WFS) during 1995 and early 1996, spanning the 300 m to 30 m isobaths. Current speeds are found to generally decrease toward shallower depths. Neighboring ADCPs frequently record currents owing in opposite directions. Altimetry from TOPEX-Poseidon is used to indicate the position of the Loop Current (LC) and to estimate the geostrophic velocity, both near the array and on the southern WFS. Four large current events (>50 cm/s) are recorded by the ADCP on the 300 m iso-bath. Three of these appear to be generated by a local incursion of the LC. The fourth event has a ow direction opposite of the LC. Only one LC impact is observed on the southern WFS during 1995. This southern impact does not broadly innuence the shelf circulation to the north.