Current flow in the Gulf of Mexico

The general current flow of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean is greatly influenced by the narrow gaps in the eastern wall and by the depth of inter-basin sills. This can be seen by examining bathymetry of two transects. The wall transect runs along the islands of the eastern wall, and the floor transect runs through the center of the basins. Bathymetry data were obtained from the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center ETOPO2 Global Elevation Data CDROM. Image courtesy of Gulf of Mexico 2002, NOAA/OER.

Related Links

Gulf of Mexico

Gulf of Mexico: Currents

NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery