CURRENT-METER OBSERVATIONS IN THE OLD-BAHAMA CHANNEL

Current meter observations were made at 50, 250, and 435 m in 495 m of water at the center of the Old Bahama Channel between November 1990 and November 1991. The mean speed at those depths was 2.6, 50, and 26 cm s(-1) toward the Straits of Florida. A maximum speed of 193 cm s(-1) was found at the 250-m level. There was evidence of a speed maximum between 50 and 250 m. Large internal diurnal tidal currents were observed that produced high shears in the water column under some conditions. Transport calculated from the single mooring using simple assumptions varied from -2.4 to +6.6 Sv with a mean of +1.9 Sv toward the Straits of Florida. These values, while based on limited data, are very significant compared to the mean flow in the Straits of Florida. Thus flow through the Old Bahama Channel may be an important component of heat and salt transport in the straits.