HOLOCENE PALEOCEANOGRAPHY OF THE GULF OF MEXICO (Invited Presentation)

Flows into and out of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) are integral to North Atlantic Ocean circulation and help facilitate poleward heat transport in the Western Hemisphere. The GoM also serves as a key source of moisture for most of North America. Modern patterns of sea-surface temperature (SST) and salinity in the GoM are influenced by the Loop Current, its eddy-shedding dynamics, and the ensuing interplay with coastal processes, including voluminous riverine runoff. In this talk, I will integrate recent and classical research using foraminiferal shells and their geochemistry from GoM sediments, and show that SST and salinity across the GoM was highly variable on centennial and millennial timescales during the Holocene. Yet, coherent regional patterns emerge across distinct domains in the GoM - the implications of which I will discuss. Finally, I will highlight the role of the Loop Current in addition to the importance of riverine input in imposing spatiotemporal heterogeneities across the GoM. Implications for the future will be addressed.