Gough M. K. auteur aut IRD Beron-Vera F. J. auteur aut IRD Olascoaga M. J. auteur aut IRD Sheinbaum J. auteur aut IRD Jouanno Julien auteur aut IRD Duran R. auteur aut IRD text journalArticle eng text/pdf born digital access Persistent Lagrangian transport patterns at the ocean surface are revealed from climatological Lagrangian coherent structures (cLCSs) computed from daily climatological surface current velocities in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico (NWGoM). The climatological currents are computed from daily velocities produced by an 18-yr-long free-running submesoscale-permitting Nucleus for European Modelling of the Ocean (NEMO) simulation of the Gulf of Mexico. Despite the intense submesoscale variability produced by the model along the shelf break, which is found to be consistent with observations and previous studies, a persistent mesoscale attracting barrier between the NWGoM shelf and the deep ocean is effectively identified by a hook-like pattern associated with persistent strongly attracting cLCSs. Simulated tracer and satellite-tracked drifters originating over the shelf tend to be trapped there by the hook-like pattern as they spread cyclonically. Tracers and drifters originating beyond the shelf tend to be initially attracted to the hook-like pattern as they spread anticyclonically and eventually over the deep ocean. The findings have important implications for the mitigation of contaminant accidents such as oil spills. specialized Ocean Continental shelf/slope Lagrangian circulation/transport Mesoscale processes Nonlinear dynamics Ocean circulation ATLANTIQUE MEXIQUE GOLFE 032 020 49 2 353-367 2019 0022-3670 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010074957 10.1175/jpo-d-17-0207.1 0022-3670 [F B010074957] https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010074957 https://www.documentation.ird.fr/intranet/publi/2019/02/010074957.pdf Accès réservé (Intranet de l'IRD) IRD - Base Horizon / Pleins textes 2019-03-06 2025-02-24 fdi:010074957 fre