Gulf of Mexico

Description

This arm of the Atlantic Ocean is shaped like an egg that has rolled over with its fat end facing west south west. Just south of the tip is the exit--the Strait of Florida--for the warmed Gulf Stream, and about half way down the underside is the waters' entrance--the Strait of Yucutan. The gulf reaches nearly 4000 meters deep, but the cone of the Mississippi makes part of it considerably shallower. Its bottom contains commerically exploitable oil and natural gas deposits. Among these are the Thunder Horse Oil Field, 240 kilometers southeast of New Orleans,¹ and the Cantarell Oil Field, 80 kilometers offshore of the Bay of Campeche. Immediately northwest of the Cantarell field is a trio of oil fields that together are called Ku-Maloob-Zaap.

Around the Area

north from the top center of the gulf
northeast
east
east southeast
southeast
south
southwest
northwest

Footnotes