Mean and Near-Inertial Ocean Current Response to Hurricane Gilbert

The three-dimensional hurricane-induced ocean response is determined from velocity and temperature profiles acquired in the western Gulf of Mexico between 14 and 19 September 1988 during the passage of Hurricane Gilbert. The asymmetric wind structure of Gilbert indicated a wind stress of 4.2 N m 2 at a radius of maximum winds (R max ) of 60 km. Using observed temperature profiles and climatological temperature-salinity relationships, the background and storm-induced geostrophic currents (re: 750 m) were 0.1 m s 1 and 0.2 m s 1 , respectively. A Loop Current warm core ring (LCWCR) was also located to the right of the storm track at 4-5 R max , where anticyclonically rotating near-surface and 100-m currents decreased from 0.9 m s 1 to 0.6 m s 1 at depth. The relative vorticity in the LCWCR was shifted below the local Coriolis parameter by about 6%.