Rutgers Ocean Modeling Group Regional Ocean Modeling System ROMS forecasts for SW06 See the discussion of Mid-Atlantic Bight ocean synoptic conditions at: NJ Shelf blog

We use the method of Maximum Cross Correlations to detect the translation of small scale thermal (and ocean color) patterns by underlying mesoscale currents in sequences of satellite images separated by only several hours. Translations identified as having significant correlations are converted to velocity vectors and screened by consistency and other quality checks (Bowen et al 2002). We have proven the method successful in East Australia Current and US West Coast, and are now computing a climatology of MCC currents using the archive of HRPT AVHRR imagery at Rutgers University. Composites such as 2006-06-12 (3 day avg) show southwestward flow in shelf/slope front of the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The algorithm is being tuned presently to better track features in the Slope Sea and Gulf Stream (example) Operational MCC surface current data from AVHRR in the MAB 3 day composites can be compared with CODAR daily averages from the Rutgers University Coastal Ocean Observing Laboratory References: Bowen, M. M., J. L. Wilkin, and W. J. Emery (2005), Variability and forcing of the East Australian Current, J. Geophys. Res., 110, C03019, doi:10.1029/2004JC002533 (pdf) (preprint pdf) Wilkin, J. L., M. M. Bowen and W. J. Emery (2002), Mapping mesoscale currents by optimal interpolation of satellite radiometer and altimeter data, Ocean Dynamics, 52, 95-103. (full text pdf © Springer-Verlag) Bowen, M., W. J. Emery, J. Wilkin, P. Tildesley, I. Barton and R. Knewtson (2002), Extracting multi-year surface currents from sequential thermal imagery using the Maximum Cross Correlation technique, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 19, 1665-1676. (pdf)