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Gulf of Mexico

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: General Geography

   Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective.
   Enlarge
   Gulf of Mexico in 3D perspective.

   The Gulf of Mexico is a major body of water bordered and nearly
   landlocked by North America.

Principal features

   The gulf's eastern, north, and northwestern shores lie within the
   United States of America (specifically, the states of Florida, Alabama,
   Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas); its southwestern and southern
   shores lie within Mexico (specifically, the states of Tamaulipas,
   Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo); on the
   southeast it is bordered by Cuba. It connects with the Atlantic Ocean
   via the Florida Straits between the U.S. and Cuba, and with the
   Caribbean Sea (with which it forms the American Mediterranean Sea) via
   the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba.

   In the United States, the term " Gulf Coast" usually refers to either
   the continuous portion of the coast running from Cape Sable, Florida,
   to Brownsville, Texas, or from Cape Sable, Florida, to the northern tip
   of the Yucatán Peninsula at Cabo Catoche, Quintana Roo. Both meanings
   exclude Cuba as well as the Florida Keys.
   Gulf of Mexico.
   Gulf of Mexico.

   The total area of the Gulf of Mexico is approximately 615,000 mi² (1.6
   million km²), the southern third of which lies within the tropics, and
   plunges to a depth of 2,080 fathoms (3804 m). This deepest part is
   Sigsbee Deep, an irregular trough more than 300 nautical miles (550 km)
   long, sometimes called the "Grand Canyon under the sea." The cooler
   water from the deep stimulates plankton growth, which attracts small
   fish, shrimp, and squid.

   The Gulf Stream, a warm Atlantic Ocean current and one of the strongest
   ocean currents known, originates in the gulf, as a continuation of the
   Caribbean Current-Yucatán Current- Loop Current system. Other
   circulation features include the anticyclonic gyres which are shed by
   the Loop Current and travel westward where they eventually dissipate,
   and a permanent cyclonic gyre in the Bay of Campeche.
   Graph showing the overall water temperature of the Gulf between
   Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although Katrina cooled waters in its path
   by up to 4°C, they had rebounded by the time of Rita's appearance.
   Enlarge
   Graph showing the overall water temperature of the Gulf between
   Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Although Katrina cooled waters in its path
   by up to 4°C, they had rebounded by the time of Rita's appearance.

   Because of the gulf's general warm temperatures, it has been visited
   many times by powerful Atlantic hurricanes, some of which have caused
   extensive human death and other destruction (see 2005's Hurricane
   Katrina, for example). In the Atlantic, a hurricane will draw up cool
   water from the depths and making it less likely that further hurricanes
   will follow in its wake (warm water being one of the preconditions
   necessary for their formation). However, the Gulf is shallower and its
   entire water column is warm. When a hurricane passes over, although the
   water temperature may drop it soon rebounds and becomes capable of
   supporting another tropical storm.

   Tidal ranges are extremely small in the Gulf of Mexico due to the
   narrow connection with the ocean – much like the Mediterranean.

   The Bay of Campeche in Mexico constitutes a major arm of the Gulf of
   Mexico. Additionally, the gulf's shoreline is fringed by numerous bays
   and smaller inlets. A number of rivers empty into the gulf, most
   notably the Mississippi Riverin the northern gulf, and the Grijalva and
   Usumacinta Rivers in the southern gulf. The land that forms the gulf's
   coast, including many long, narrow barrier islands, is almost uniformly
   low-lying and is characterized by marshes and swamps as well as
   stretches of sandy beach.

   The continental shelf is quite wide at most points along the coast,
   most notably at the Florida and Yucatán Peninsulas. The shelf is
   exploited for its oil by means of offshore drilling rigs, most of which
   are situated in the western gulf and in the Bay of Campeche. Another
   important commercial activity is fishing; major catches include red
   snapper, amberjack, tilefish, swordfish, and various grouper, as well
   as shrimp and crabs. Oysters are also harvested on a large scale from
   many of the bays and sounds. Other important industries along the coast
   include shipping, petrochemical processing and storage, paper
   manufacture, and tourism.

   Coastal cities of note include Biloxi, Gulfport, Tampa, St. Petersburg,
   Pensacola, Mobile, New Orleans, Galveston, Beaumont, and Houston (all
   in the U.S.), Tampico, Tuxpam, Veracruz and Campeche (in Mexico), and
   Havana (in Cuba).

   The gulf's coastal areas were first settled by Native American groups,
   including those representing several of the early advanced cultures of
   Mexico. During the period of European exploration and colonization the
   entire region became a theatre of contention between the Spanish,
   French and English. The present-day culture of the coastal region is
   primarily Spanish-American (Mexico, Cuba) and Anglo-American (U.S.).
   Fishing boats in Biloxi
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   Fishing boats in Biloxi

   A point of interest about the Gulf is that 65 million years ago, the
   Chicxulub crater was formed when a large meteorite hit the earth. It is
   hypothesized that this impact was the asteroid that caused the
   extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs.

Pollution

   Because of the ever increasing amount of nitrogen and phosphates
   dissolved in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, pollution has more than
   doubled since 1950. Current estimates suggest that three times as much
   nitrogen is being carried into the Gulf today compared with levels 30
   years ago or at any time in history. Blooms of photosynthesizers die
   and sink, and the processes of their decay exhausts the available
   supplies of oxygen dissolved in the water. Every summer there is now an
   area south of the Louisiana coastline, larger than the U.S. state of
   Massachusetts at over 7,000 mi² (18,000 km²) that is hypoxic. These
   waters do not carry enough oxygen to sustain marine life. This annually
   enlarging dead zone is a major threat to the fishing industry and to
   public health.

   Also, there are frequent " red tide" algae blooms that kill fish and
   marine mammals and cause respiratory problems in humans and some
   domestic animals when the blooms reach close to shore. This has
   especially been plaguing the southwest Florida coast, from the Florida
   Keys to north of Pasco County, Florida.

Seismic activity

   The Gulf is considered aseismic: however, mild tremors have been
   recorded throughout history (usually 5.0 or less on the Richter scale).
   A 6.0 tremor was recorded on September 10, 2006, 250 miles off the
   coast of Florida which caused no damage, but could be felt throughout
   the Southeastern United States. No damage or injuries were reported.
   Earthquakes such as this may be caused by interactions between sediment
   loading on the sea floor and adjustment by the crust.

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico"
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   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
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