The Chivela Pass is a narrow mountain pass in the Sierra Madre Mountains that funnels cooler, drier air from the North American continent, through southern Mexico , into the Pacific . These northeasterly winds, specifically the Tehuano wind , blows periodically across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in southern Mexico, and offshore over hundreds of miles of the Pacific Ocean. The wind activity forces the upwelling of colder subsurface waters. This strong upwelling brings nutrients from the subsurface layers of the ocean, thereby enhancing the fertility of the offshore waters. This results in strong plankton growth which in turn supports a more bountiful fishery in the region.
5-621: In extreme circumstances during the winter, truly cold, dense air occasionally flows from the Bay of Campeche in the Gulf of Mexico through the Chivela Pass into the Gulf of Tehuantepec on the Pacific side. These winds can be strong enough to sandblast paint off ships in near-coastal waters. This article about atmospheric science is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article about
10-532: A location in the Mexican state of Oaxaca is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Bay of Campeche The Bay of Campeche ( Spanish : Bahía de Campeche ), or Campeche Sound , is a bight in the southern area of the Gulf of Mexico , forming the north side of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec . It is surrounded on three sides by the Mexican states of Campeche , Tabasco and Veracruz . The area of
15-474: A steep decline soon thereafter. On June 3, 1979, Ixtoc I , an exploratory oil well located in the bay, suffered a blowout that caused a catastrophic explosion, resulting in what has been ranked as the third largest unintentional oil spill in history. During the months of June and July, the Bay of Campeche is considered one of the "hot" breeding spots for Atlantic hurricanes . It experiences strong winds from
20-452: The bay is 6,000 square miles (16,000 km ) and maximum depth of the bay is approximately 180 feet (55 m). It was named by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba and Antón de Alaminos during their expedition in 1517. The Cantarell Complex of five oil fields lies beneath the Bay of Campeche. In 2003, it was the second most productive oil field in the world, then supplying about two thirds of Mexico's crude oil output, but it went into
25-408: The north from November into February along its western edge, with the winds ultimately funneling between the mountains and out into the Pacific near Salina Cruz. On the other hand, the bay is also known for being a hurricane "graveyard", with unusually weak steering currents in the area causing hurricanes to slow down and meander, starving themselves (for example, Hurricane Roxanne in 1995). The bay
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