Circulación costera forzada por el viento en el golfo de Tehuantepec, México

Resumen

Measures using High Frequency Radio (HFR) systems of sea surface currents and winds stress and sea surface temperature satellite data, where used to study the effect of northerly wind events or Tehuanos on coastal dynamics in the Gulf of Tehuantepec (GT), Mexico. The winter 2005 observations show a significant change in the intensity and direction of surface currents during wind events, which is reflected in an increase of kinetic energy and negative relative vorticity. The analyses show that kinetic energy of the coastal current decreases (increases) in periods when there is absence (presence) of wind events. Observations show that the relative vorticity has a tendency to positive values under low wind conditions, and a tendency to negative values during high wind events. Additionally, winds from the north are associated with the generation of negative vorticity in the GT. An asymmetric ocean response was observed due to the wind stress forcing as interaction between a persistent coastal current and off-shore wind stress.