@article{fdi:010089679,
  title = {{L}oop current eddies as a possible cause of the rapid sea level rise in the {G}ulf of {M}exico},
  author = {{T}hirion, {G}. and {B}irol, {F}. and {J}ouanno, {J}ulien},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{T}he {G}ulf of {M}exico ({GOM}), with its densely populated coastline, is one of the world's most vulnerable regions to climate change and sea level ({SL}) rise. {O}ver the last three decades, various works have been conducted to assess coastal {SL} trends around the basin using tide gauge stations, separately from studies dealing with regional dynamical processes. {U}sing altimetry, {A}rgo, and eddy atlas products over the period from {J}anuary 1993 to {D}ecember 2020, we have analyzed the regional {SL} variations in the area to define their characteristics and explore their possible dynamical causes. {W}e observe a mean {GIA}-corrected {SL} rise rate of 4.81 +/- 0.85 mm yr-1, which is 25% higher than that of the adjacent {C}aribbean {S}ea and 44% higher than that of the global ocean. {T}his result highlights the singular {SL} evolution in the {GOM} over the 28-year study period. {O}ver 2010-2020, the {SL} trend in the {GOM} has even accelerated, along with a strong warming of the upper-layer (0.58 +/- 0.17 degrees {C}), which explains similar to 60% of the {SL} rise rate through the thermosteric effect. {F}inally, the heat input estimates emphasize the role of the {L}oop {C}urrent eddies as a major contributor to the recent acceleration of {SL} rise due to upper-layer warming. {W}hile it is generally accepted that global {SL} is rising as a result of climate change, the rate of rise varies depending on the ocean area being studied. {U}sing devices called tide gauges, researchers have shown that the {SL} has risen sharply along the densely populated coasts of the {GOM}. {H}owever, little research has been done on the causes of this phenomenon throughout the basin. {O}ceanographers know that {SL} variations depend on several parameters such as heat input. {I}ndeed, the warmer the water, the more its volume increases, leading to a rise in {SL}. {U}sing satellite data, we show that the surface waters of the {G}ulf have warmed since the early 2010s, and that {SL} rise there is faster than in the adjacent {C}aribbean where no such warming has occurred. {T}his difference may be related to the large warm-water eddies generated by the {L}oop {C}urrent. {I}ndeed, the larger the eddies, the more heat they carry with them. {Y}et, our results show that the size of these eddies has increased in recent years and that they could be a major contributor to the surface water warming and ultimately to the {SL} rise in the area. {S}ea level rise ({SLR}) trend in the {G}ulf of {M}exico is 44% higher than the global mean sea level trend over the period 1993-2020 {T}his trend has accelerated since similar to 2010, along with a deep upper-layer warming that explains more than half of the {SLR} through steric effects {L}oop {C}urrent eddies may be responsible for this acceleration},
  keywords = {{ATLANTIQUE} ; {GOLFE} {DU} {MEXIQUE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{J}ournal of {G}eophysical {R}esearch : {O}ceans},
  volume = {129},
  numero = {3},
  pages = {e2023{JC}019764 [23 ]},
  ISSN = {2169-9275},
  year = {2024},
  DOI = {10.1029/2023jc019764},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010089679},
}