Figure Caption:

1. Princeton’s Circulation & Wave Model of the Northwestern Atlantic Ocean (http://www.aos.princeton.edu/WWWPUBLIC/PROFS/publications.html) Model engine: mpi-Princeton Ocean Model – 3D currents, T/S, SSH, turbulence KE (TKE) & length w/wave-breaking and Stokes drift TKE production; wave-enhanced BBL; 4th-order pressure grad scheme; Grids: horizontal: 3~5km, vertical: 25 levels; Topography: Etopo2+NOS digitized map on shelves; Open BC@55W: Transport and climatological T/S + radiation [Oey & Chen, 1992a,b; JGR]; Surface fluxes: CCMP wind (1987-2009); NCEP/GFS 2010-present; supplemented w/hurricane winds from AOML’s HRD; Heat & salt fluxes: monthly climatology or daily NCEP; 51 Rivers: daily, 34 in GOM, 17 east coast; Data assimilation: SSHA, SST, Drifters, bred-ensemble; Tides: M2, S2, K1 & O1; Wind-waves: yes, w/option to couple with currents; Inundation: yes; Nesting: yes (not used here, but see publications). Figure Caption: mpiPOM model domain of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean including the Gulf of Mexico & Caribbean Sea. Color is sea-surface height (SSH; in meters) on Jun/19/2010 – red indicates high SSH = 0.5m, and blue is low SSH = -0.5m. Squigglyblack lines indicate the corresponding surface currents velocity in m/s (2 scales are shown for water depths deeper and shallower than 200m). Blue vectors indicate kinematic wind stress vectors in (m/s)2 (i.e. wind stress in N/m2 divided by water density ~ 1000 kg/m3). Grey contour is the 50m isobath, and white contour is 200m.

2. PROFS references (since 2002, model-related and Western Atlantic only) • 25. Xu & Oey, 2011: The origin of the along-shelf pressure gradient in the Mid-Atlantic Bight, J. Phys. Oceanogr. In press. • 24. Chang, Oey, Xu, Lu & Fujisaki, 2011: 2010 Oil Spill - trajectory projections based on ensemble drifter analyses. OcnDyn, DOI: 10.1007/s10236-011-0397-4. • 23. Chang & Oey, 2011: Loop Current Cycle. J. Phys. Oceanogr., 41, 458-471. • 22. Chang & Oey, 2010: Eddy and wind-forced heat transports in the Gulf of Mexico. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 40, 2728-2742. • 21. Chang & Oey, 2010: Why can wind delay the shedding of Loop Current eddies? J. Phys. Oceanogr., 40, 2481-2495. • 20. Oey, Chang, Sun & Lin, 2009: Topocaustics. Ocean Modelling, 29, 277-286. • 19. Oey, Inoue, Lai, Lin, Welsh & Rouse Jr. 2008: Stalling of near-inertial waves in a cyclone.  GRL, 35, L12604, doi:10.1029/2008GL034273. • 18. Oey, 2008: Loop Current and Deep Eddies. J. Phys. Oceanogr. 38, 1426-1449. • 17. Mellor, Donelan, Oey, 2008: A Surface Wave Model for Coupling with Numerical Ocean Circulation Models. J. Atmos. Oceanic Tech, 25, 1785-1807. • 16. Wang & Oey, 2008: Hindcast of Waves and Currents in Hurricane Katrina. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society (BAMS), April, 487-495. • 15. Oey, Ezer, Wang, Yin and Fan, 2007: Hurricane-induced motions and interaction with ocean currents, CSR, doi:10.1016/j.csr.2007. 01.008. • 14. Yin & Oey, 2007: Bred-ensemble ocean forecast of Loop Current and rings, Ocean Modelling, doi:10.1016/j.ocemod.2007.02.005. • 13. Lin, Oey & Wang, 2007: Altimetry and drifter assimilations of Loop Current and eddies. JGR, 112, C05046, doi:10.1029/2006JC003779, 2007. • 12. Oey, Ezer, Wang, Fan & Yin, 2006: Loop current warming by Hurricane Wilma. GRL, 33, L08613, doi:10.1029/2006GL025873. • 11. Oey, Ezer, Forristall, Cooper, DiMarco & Fan, 2005: An exercise in forecasting loop current and eddy frontal positions in the Gulf of Mexico. Geophysical Research Letters, 32, L12611, doi:10.1029/2005GL023253. • 10. Oey, L.-Y., T. Ezer and H.-C. Lee,  2005:  Loop Current, rings and related circulation in the Gulf of Mexico: A review of numerical models and future challenges.  In, Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico: Observations and Models, W. Sturges and A. Lugo-Fernandez (Eds.), Geophys. Monograph Ser., Vol. 161, American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC, 31-56. • 9. Schmitz, Biggs, Lugo-Fernandez, Oey and Sturges, 2005. A synopsis of the circulation in the Gulf of Mexico and on its continental margins. In: Circulation in the Gulf of Mexico: Observations and Models, W. Sturges and A. Lugo-Fernandez, editors, AGU Geophysical Monograph 161, 11-29. • 8. Fan, S., L-Y. Oey, and P. Hamilton, 2004: Assimilation of drifter and satellite data in a model of the Northeastern Gulf of Mexico. CSR, 24(9), 1001-1013. • 7. Oey, L-Y., 2004: Vorticity flux through the Yucatan Channel and Loop Current variability in the Gulf of Mexico. JGR, 109, C10004, doi:10.1029/2004JC002400. • 6. Oey, L-Y., T. Ezer, and W. Sturges, 2004: Modeled and observed empirical orthogonal functions of currents in the Yucatan Channel, Gulf of Mexico. Journal of Geophysical Research, 109(C08011), doi: 10.1029/2004JC002345. • 5. Oey & Zhang, 2004: The generation of subsurface cyclones and jets through eddy-slope interaction. Continental Shelf Research, 24(18), 2109-2131. • 4. Ezer, T., L-Y. Oey, and H-C. Lee, and W. Sturges, 2003: The variability of currents in the Yucatan Channel: Analysis of results from a numerical ocean model. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(C1), 3012, 10.1029/2002JC001509. • 3. Oey, L-Y., H-C. Lee, and W. J. Schmitz, Jr., 2003: Effects of winds and Caribbean eddies on the frequency of Loop Current eddy shedding: A numerical model study.  J Geophys Res, 108(C10), 3324, doi:10.1029/2002JC001698. • 2. Wang, D-P., L-Y. Oey, T. Ezer, and P. Hamilton, 2003: Near-surface currents in DeSoto Canyon (1997–99): Comparison of current meters, satellite observation, and model simulation. Journal of Physical Oceanography, 33(1), 313-326. • 1. Oey, L.-Y., and H. C. Lee, 2002: Deep eddy energy and topographic Rossby waves in the Gulf of Mexico. J Phys Oceanogr, 32(12), 3499-3527.

3. Apr/01~Aug/31/2010 Animation (daily) of model SSH (color) + surface currents (white squiggly vectors) and observed drifters (black squiggly vectors) SSH (m) Date 0.2 m/s MC252 X 200m 2000m The Loop Current