Simulation of velocities in the Yucatan Channel

As part of the analysis of results from high resolution numerical simulations of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, the structure and variability of the flow across the Yucatan Channel are described and compared with observations. The main model inflow into the Gulf is found near the surface in the western part of the Channel, while return flows back into the Caribbean Sea are found near the surface on the eastern side of the Channel and along the eastern and western slopes around 1500 m depth, in agreement with recent observations. Variations in the upper inflow and deep outflow transport seem to correlate with variations in the extensions of the Loop Current, as suggested by previous analyses of observations and models. Such correlations are especially high near the time when Loop Current eddies are shed into the Gulf of Mexico.