A numerical modelling and observational effort to develop the capability to predict the currents in the Gulf of Mexico for use in pollutant trajectory computation

The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have completed the first year of a proposed twoyear study for the Bureau of Land Management "to develop the capability to predict the currents in the Gulf of Mexico for use in pollutant trajectory computation". The objectives of the study were: (1) to modify an existing numerical model for application in the Gulf of Mexico; (2) to evaluate the ability of the model to simu- late the Gulf circulation using various types and distributions of data as input information; and (3) to describe the Gulf of Mexico circulation using the results of the model.