Luna Hiron

Physical Oceanographer

RESEARCH TOPICS



Mesoscale dynamics and front-eddy interactions

Application to the Gulf of Mexico Loop Current System

The Loop Current (LC) is the only permanent current and the most energetic feature in the Gulf of Mexico. Once the LC reaches an advanced and unstable stage, a warm eddy sheds from the main current and moves southwestward. The shedding of the LC is very irregular, and its prediction is still very inaccurate. Nonetheless, it is known that cold-core, frontal eddies play an important role in the shedding as they can amplify and constrict the LC. Read more »

Mesoscale dynamics and front-eddy interactions Sea surface height field (SSH) for the Loop Current (LC) system, generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. The LC is shown by the 17 cm SSH black contour and the strong frontal eddies by the -28 cm SSH white contour.