ORLANDO, Fla. – The good ole “Loop Current.” When you hear meteorologists talk about possible tropical development in the Gulf of Mexico or the Caribbean Sea, you may have picked up on us talking about something called the “Loop Current.”
There’s a reason why we mention this phenomenon. If a tropical system moves over this current, it could play a big part in the development and the impacts it may have on an area.
The Loop Current gives storms a power-up and fuels them if the center travels over it. But it is important to keep in mind that there are other factors that also determine how powerful or weak any storm can become.
The Loop Current is the parent to the Florida Current. It is the fastest current in the Atlantic Ocean and the extent of the Loop Current stretches into the Gulf of Mexico.
The current flows northward into the Gulf of Mexico, then loops southeastward just south of the Florida Keys (where it is called the Florida Current), and then just west of the westernmost Bahamas. Here, the waters of the Loop Current flow northward along the U.S. coast becoming the Gulf Stream.
The Loop Current brings warm Caribbean water northward between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba into the Gulf.
The current is about 125-190 miles wide, and 2600 feet deep, and is present in the Gulf of Mexico about 95% of the time.
During summer and fall, the Loop Current provides a deep 80-150 meters layer of very warm water that can provide a huge energy source for any tropical system that might cross over.
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