Abstract
Recent results using high frequency (HF) radar to investigate shear-zone instability along the frontal regions of the Florida Current are presented. The ability of HF radar to map ocean surface currents over a two-dimensional area, in an operational long-term deployment, provides a unique dataset with which to study this rapidly evolving western boundary current. Two case studies demonstrate the power of HF radar to (1) reveal new information regarding flow field kinematics of previously studied features, and (2) measure transient phenomena that have been historically difficult to capture with ship and moored point measurements, or to resolve with satellite imagery. The first case study is an investigation into the flow field kinematics of a cyclonic submesoscale frontal eddy, and the second is an analysis of a near-inertial velocity signal along the anticyclonic flank of the Florida Current.