Classification of strong current events based on Gulf of Mexico BOEM NTL dataset

Strong currents are a matter of great concern for the maritime industries in the Gulf of Mexico. Oil industry operators working in the gulf are required to measure ocean current profiles and transmit these data in near-real-time. The data are collected primarily using TRDI ADCPs mounted on the structures or nearby. The individual data ensembles are sent to NDBC where they are processed, quality checked, archived and made available to the public through the NDBC website. In 2011, Woods Hole Group Inc. (WHG) was contracted by DeepStar Technology Development for Deepwater Research to create a database of deep ocean currents for the Gulf of Mexico. One of the objectives of the project was to identify and make plots of strong current (“energetic”) events. WHG performed a thorough inspection of the data, including a review of the temporal and spatial continuity of the data, cross-check between neighboring stations and between current data and satellite altimetry charts. Based on this extensive dataset, a total of 560 strong current events were identified and classified according to the candidate mechanisms that cause these current intensifications.