The validity of apparent subsurface jet currents in the Gulf of Mexico

Current measurements were conducted close to major deepwater development locations in the Gulf of Mexico during summer 2004 due to the proximity of a loop current eddy. Shortly after the passage of Hurricane Ivan, some ADCP data sets showed evidence for apparently very strong subsurface jet currents. The very high error and vertical velocities in parts of the water column affected by these jets would often be a reason to invalidate these data. However the very high apparent current speeds and similarities with features recently reported in the region prompted a more detailed investigation. So far evaluation of the apparent jet data itself remains inconclusive, but the lack of similar features in simultaneous data collected from a nearby platform, using a different type of ADCP, suggests that the apparent jets may not be real.