Observed currents over the outer continental shelf during Hurricane Ivan

Hurricane Ivan crossed the Gulf of Mexico as a category 4/5 storm before making landfall in Alabama. Here we show in unprecedented detail the oceanic response generated by Ivan as it crossed the outer continental shelf. The current structure was found to be frictionally dominated with overlapping surface and bottom boundary layers as Ivan approached before transitioning to a dominant surface boundary layer as the wind stress peaked. The strongest currents, largest temperature fluctuations, and greatest transports were generated left of the storm track.