Curvature Bias in the Florida Current off Miami

Abstract

The evidences for and the mechanism of a negative curvature bias in the Florida Current off Miami are presented. The evidences consist of a re-examination of the data and tests by Schmitz (1969) and Stubbs (1971). Three different approaches are used in re-examining the first work, and all three clearly give a negative curvature bias. In revealing consistent evidence for a supergeostrophic flow, the second work supports the same bias. Thus bush works indicate a persistent tendency for fast, inertial flows to meander even when within a channel. Apparently tiggered by and hence tied to the channel constriction off Miami, the curvature mechanism involves a divergence with magnitude an order larger than the geostrophic divergence, and correspondingly large inertial torques in both the cross- and downstream directions.