Lagrangian Measurements of Surface Circulation near Puerto Rico

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Abstract
A satellite-tracked surface drifter was released October 1980 off the north coast of Puerto Rico and was observed for four months in the subtropical North Atlantic and for two months in the Caribbean. Although the drifter ranged as far north as 23°N, it eventually passed new its launch point shortly before entering Mona Passage. The drifter's small net movement during this period suggests little transport in this region and a long residence time for tracers. Small mesoscale eddies were evident in the zone between 19° and 23°N. In February 1981 the drifter was swept south at 38 cm s−1 through Mona Passage and into the Caribbean accompanied by a transport estimated at between 1 and 4 (×106 m3 s−1). The higher value is almost half of the water believed to enter the Caribbean through passages of the Windward Islands. Upon entering the Caribbean the drifter was entrained by a cyclonic eddy that moved westward with the drifter for 32 days.