Gulf of Mexico, its resources and location. How It All Happened: The Gulf of Mexico Tides and Swells in the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a relatively shallow oceanic basin off the southwestern coast of North America. Its greatest depth is a little over 3600 m, the area is about 1602 thousand km2. Together with the Caribbean Sea, the Gulf of Mexico forms the "American Mediterranean" (consisting of five major basins), and therefore the Gulf of Mexico is often referred to as the Mexican Basin. Compared to other basins in the American Mediterranean

The Gulf of Mexico is a simple, regular structure, with no major underwater troughs or ridges. Geological structure of the bottom. In the Gulf of Mexico, with the exception of the extreme northern and southwestern parts of the continental shelf (areas with huge oil reserves), insufficient systematic geophysical studies have been carried out. Most of the work performed was limited to seismic, magnetometric, gravimetric and geoacoustic studies of only large-scale geological structures. Therefore, the history of the geological development of the Gulf of Mexico as a whole continues to be poorly studied. The central part of the Gulf of Mexico is a typical section of the oceanic crust: some researchers use this to prove that it has always been an oceanic basin.

A characteristic element of the relief of the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico is a deep-water trench filled with sediments with a thickness of 50,000 feet; the axis of the trench extends in an east-west direction parallel to the coast of Texas and Louisiana. This coastal geosyncline of the Gulf of Mexico in its western and central parts is filled with sandy-argillaceous sediments of the Tertiary age, and in the eastern part - with carbonate formations of the Late Mesozoic and Tertiary age. Carbonate sediments accumulate more slowly than clastic material. Therefore, the limestone and dolomite layer off the coast of Florida (10,000 feet thick) is perhaps equivalent in time to twice or triple the thickness of the sand and shale layer off the coast of Texas and Louisiana.

It is believed that the geosyncline began to develop when the destruction products of tectonic uplifts, formed at the end of the Cretaceous as a result of the Laramian orogeny, began to flow down to the coast. From them, river deltas were formed similar to the modern Mississippi Delta, which broke out and moved into the depths of the sea, protruding beyond the edge of the shelf. As sediments accumulated on the shelf, the underlying layers in the area of ​​greatest accumulation began to sag, thus creating the possibility of accumulating new sediment layers. So a trough, or geosyncline, could have formed. For subsequent sedimentation, downward displacements of marginal and coastal areas were also necessary. Scientists are still arguing about the true mechanism of the formation of the geosyncline.

The study of the geology of the Gulf of Mexico was the impetus for the study of the nature of a series of underwater hills, known as the Sigsby banks, which rise no less than 200 fathoms above the Sigsby abyssal plain in the central part of the Gulf of Mexico. Salt domes are often found along the coast of Texas and Louisiana and throughout these states. Salt domes are also known to occur in areas of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in the extreme southern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

No salt was obtained from the hills of Sigsby Bank; and although they are very similar to volcanic edifices, magnetometric and gravimetric measurements have not confirmed their volcanic nature. Therefore, the explanation of their formation by means of salt tectonics is logically justified. However, on the other hand, these mounds may be diapirs made with plastic clay.

It is possible that the domes of the central part of the Gulf of Mexico and the adjacent shelf, the Sigsbn Bank and the domes of Tehuan Tepec owe their origin to the same salt layer of the Jurassic or Permian age, which is the source material for the salt domes of the Gulf of Mexico. However, this assumption can be confirmed
only further geological studies.

Gulf of Mexico shelf

The shelf of the Gulf of Mexico includes the Yucatan shelf (Gulf of Campeche), the shelf of the west coast of Florida and the shelves of Texas and Louisiana. It is divided by the Florida Strait (between the Florida Peninsula and the island of Cuba), the Yucatan Strait (between the Yucatan Peninsula and the island of Cuba) and the vast Mississippi Delta, which, crossing the shelf, almost reaches the continental slope.

The shelf of the Gulf of Mexico, both geologically and geomorphologically, is a single whole with the mainland. West of the Florida Peninsula, where the shelf is a continuation of the surface calcareous karsts of the peninsula, the sediments are represented by a thin layer of unconsolidated carbonate detritus. Part of this layer belongs to the Pleistocene, the other part to the Holocene. The shelf surface in this area is relatively flat, but terraced. Rare irregularities of the shelf surface are represented by small domes and ridges near the 30 sazhen isobath. Their origin is associated with the formation of reefs in the Pleistocene, when the sea level was lower than the existing one.

The peritic zone of the shelf of the northwest coast of Florida and the narrow shelf of the Alabama coast are dominated by clastic sediments, in which the dominant sand component is quartz. The siliceous sands extend west of the Mississippi Delta, where they are mixed with other sediment and silt carried by the rivers flowing into Mobile Bay. Sedimentation near the western edge of the Mississippi Island Barrier is influenced by the Mississippi river system. Delta silts partially cover the sediments of the shelf zone of this region; in the lowlands, sands and clays are mixed with delta sediments. Unsanded terraces extend west to the central Louisiana coastline, where sand and silt occasionally reappear on the sediment surface.

The sedimentary material of the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico is brought by two major rivers: the Mississippi and the Rio Grande. Rainfall from the Mississippi is carried westward by seasonal windy coastal currents. Between the main river systems there are many less significant rivers, such as the Sabin, Trinity, Colorado, Brazos, etc. Some of these rivers flow into bays, so that most of their sediment never reaches the open shelf.
The sediments of the northern and northwestern parts of the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico are dominated by unknown sands and clays. The sands occur in the form of bands parallel to the shore and corresponding to the previous sea levels; fine-grained fractions are located further from the coast.

The relief of the northern and northwestern parts of the shelf of the Gulf of Mexico is less uniform than in the west of the Florida Platform, and consists of banks, hills, ridges and domes. Most of the banks and hills are covered with algae reefs formed during the low sea level in the Pleistocene; some domes and hills are formed by upward movements of salt masses. These domes often have oil deposits.

The shelf off the east coast of Mexico is the narrowest part of the Gulf of Mexico shelf. Although there is almost no information about the precipitation covering it, it is known that the Tampico region is characterized by sands deposited here by the Panuco River, which collects water from the western regions of Mexico. Further south, at Veracruz, the surface layer of sediments consists of fragments of coral reefs and mixed carbonate-detrital sediments. These mixed sediments extend along the southern boundary of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of Campeche, adjacent to the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Local rivers flowing through the rocks bring threshing material and deposit it on the shelf.

The Yucatan platform, like the shelf off the west coast of Florida, is a carbonate plateau that is a continuation of the karst surface of the mainland. Shelf sediments consist of unconsolidated carbonate oozes. The Yucatan shelf, although fairly flat, is dissected by terraces corresponding to previous sea levels. These terraces are in the form of ledges between depths of 16-20, 28-35, 50-75 sazhens. On this shelf there is an arcuate line of coral reefs and reefless domes. The reefs are located parallel to the isobath of 30 sazhens and approximately the same as on the shelf of the western coast of Florida.

continental slope, as well as the shelf, frames the basin of the Gulf of Mexico with a continuous border. At the outer edge of the Florida shelf (carbonate platform), the steepest continental slope. In this area, the shelf turns into a slope at a depth of 35 sazhens. The slope of the bottom between depths of 35 and 100 fathoms is about 3 feet per mile, and between 400 and 500 fathoms increases to 300 feet per mile. Further, it reaches the greatest of the known greatness of the steepness of the slope - about 39 °. The steepness of the slope suggests that it is of fault origin, although there is no other evidence for this. Separate ridges and hills stand out on the slope. The northwestern part of the slope is cut by the De Soto Canyon, which starts at a depth of 240 fathoms and ends at 500 fathoms; The greatest indentation of the slope is observed at a depth of 100 sazhens.

In the northern part of the Gulf of Mexico, the continental slope is less steep; in the northwestern regions of the Gulf of Mexico, it is characterized by an exceptionally hilly relief, formed as a result of intrusions of salt masses and erosion of the bottom during the era of the Pleistocene decrease in sea level, and also, apparently, due to underwater landslides. The relief of the slope off the east coast of Mexico is less well known, although it has been established by soundings that it is very narrow and very steep.

The slope at the extreme southern end of the Gulf of Mexico is also steep. It is cut by the Campeche Canyon between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and the Yucatan Shelf. The slope adjacent to the Yucatan shelf is also steep and continues down to the abyssal Plain. The overlying sediments consist of foraminiferal lutites and coarse-grained material displaced here as a result of submarine landslides from the carbonate shelf.

deep sea bottom

At the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico rises a large sedimentary structure called the Mississippi Cone. It is a cone-shaped accumulation of deposited material. The top of the cone is located at the site of the Pleistocene mouth of the Mississippi, which is currently submerged to a depth of several hundred feet. Sediments composing this fan-shaped expanding cone with a slightly convex surface spread down the continental slope and even further along the bottom of the basin. The composition of these formations, judging by the cores of soil samples taken from them, resembles the composition of sediments covering the bottom of the Sigsby abyssal plain. The upper sediments in each core are reddish-brown foraminiferal lutite, which overlies layers of gray silty clay.

Gray silty clay belongs to the Pleistocene, which has been proven by radiological methods for determining the age of rocks (carbon-14) and paleontological data. The overlying lutite is believed to represent Holocene (modern) sediments. The Mississippi cone was formed due to the removal of a large amount of clay sediments by the Mississippi River during the Pleistocene time and their distribution along the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico as a result of transport by turbidity flows. Evidence of this origin of the cone is the fact that the sedimentary cover of the Sigsby Hills, rising above the bottom of the abyssal plain, does not contain gray clays characteristic of the sediments of the cone. Apparently, gray clays were deposited around the hills, but not on their tops, which were located above the level of sedimentary suspensions. The sediments on the surface of the hills, at least those on which the cores were taken, consist mainly of foraminiferal oozes and represent deposits from epochs of intense deposition of planktonic remains.

Hydrological regime

water masses. the main inflow of water into the Gulf of Mexico is carried out through the Yucatan Strait, the depth of the threshold of which is 1500-1900 m. The depth of the threshold determines the greatest depth to which the waters of the Yucatan Basin caribbean enter the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the outflowing water moves into the North Atlantic through the Strait of Florida, which connects the Gulf of Mexico to the ocean. The depth of the threshold of the Florida Strait is about 800 m. Since the depth of the thresholds of the Anegada, Jungfsrn and Windward straits, which connect the Caribbean Sea with the North Atlantic, is much greater than the depth of the threshold of the Florida Strait, ocean waters pass unhindered through the American Mediterranean in the upper 800-meter layer.

The water masses entering the Gulf of Mexico through the Yucatan Strait are formed by mixing the South Atlantic waters carried to the north by the Guiana and North Equatorial Currents with the North Atlantic waters from the western part of the Sargasso Sea. The ratio of South Atlantic and North Atlantic waters in the Yucatan Strait.

Although subtropical water with a salinity maximum strongly affects the surface water of the Gulf of Mexico, its characteristics change little along the way along this area, and it is not as well mixed in the horizontal direction as in the Caribbean Sea.

The mixing thickness of the surface layer is determined by the depth above which the water temperature remains uniform; it varies from a few meters to 125 m, depending on the region, season and local influences. In the central part of the Gulf of Mexico, the average thickness of this layer in January-February is about 90 m. These months are usually the coldest for the Gulf of Mexico. up to 24 ° C near the Yucatan coast. To the north of the Yucatan Strait, the isotherms deviate to the north, which is caused by the influence of waters penetrating through this strait. Daily, annual and regional changes in the temperature of the surface layer have not been established reliably enough, although it is known that each is characterized by significant fluctuations.

In the central part of the Gulf of Mexico, the salinity of surface waters is 36.0–36.3 ppm. However, in the west of the central part of the Gulf of Mexico, 100 miles from the 180 m isobath (on the edge of the Yucatan shelf), a salinity of 36.6 ppm was noted. shelf) and, possibly, from the rise of deep waters. The Mississippi River has the strongest influence: its waters (in salinity less than 35.5 ° / 00) can be traced at depths of up to 50 m and at a distance of up to 150 km from the coast. Of course, as you approach the mouth of the river, the salinity decreases significantly: a few miles from the coast it is less than 25 prom. Many other coastal areas also experience significant salinity fluctuations, but due to incomplete, scarce data, it is difficult to determine the extent of temporal variability characteristic of individual areas.

The surface current speed reaches its maximum in early summer; at this time, its narrow core is located approximately above the 180 m isobath on the western side of the Yucatan Strait. Apparently, the speed of the current on the western side of the strait is much greater than on the eastern side; the maximum width of the current reaches 60-80 miles. The lowest flow rate is observed in October-November; at this time, the core of the current expands somewhat and is located at a greater depth. To the right of the current, apparently, there are local circulations.

It is also believed that, at least in some seasons, there is a surface countercurrent running SSW along the coast of Cuba into the Caribbean Sea. Apparently, the Yucatan current is in geostrophic equilibrium. It can be easily distinguished by the slope of the isothermal surfaces in a direction perpendicular to the velocity at the surface; in addition, warmer water is to the right of the current. The northern part of the surface circulation loop has attracted little attention, although the dynamic connection of the waters of this current with the northern waters of the Gulf of Mexico may be an important link in explaining the circulation of the northeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Florida Current, which carries waters of 25 million m3/s, is usually referred to as part of the Gulf Stream and will not be described here. In contrast to the above-mentioned eastern Gulf of Mexico currents, the weak western Gulf of Mexico currents are not very well defined and appear to vary in time, space, and intensity. Based on the available data and geostrophic assumptions, it can be assumed that the currents form a large elongated spiral over the abyssal of the center of the western Gulf of Mexico. Their main axis runs from NE to SW, so that the currents on the southeast side of the spiral are directed to the northeast. The velocities in the core of the current directed to the northeast are about 50 cm/s. These characteristics seem to be inconsistent and difficult to study. The coastal currents of the Gulf of Mexico experience significant seasonal fluctuations in both direction and intensity.

Tides and waves in the Gulf of Mexico

The average tide in the Gulf of Mexico is not high, it does not exceed 1-2 feet at most coastal stations. The nature of the tide in the Gulf of Mexico is diurnal. However, semidiurnal and mixed tides are observed in coastal areas of the Florida Strait, and tide magnitudes are slightly larger than off the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Wind waves developing in the Gulf of Mexico are small: the highest wave height rarely exceeds 5 m.

The main danger to residents of the low-lying shores of the Gulf of Mexico is flooding during storm surges. Such rises in water, usually caused by the passage of hurricanes, reach a height of 5 m in the Gulf of Mexico. After the hurricane enters the Gulf of Mexico, usually through the Yucatan Strait, it maintains a northerly direction of movement, and storm surges are more common on the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico is a semi-enclosed sea that washes the shores of Mexico, Cuba and the states of Central America. Its waters form the beginning of the most important current in the Northern Hemisphere - the Gulf Stream. The Gulf of Mexico is rich in fish and marine arthropods, the main sea routes of industrial and cruise ships of North America pass through its water area.

Geology

Most researchers often mention the cosmic origin of the Gulf of Mexico. At an early stage in the formation of the Earth, the future territory of the bay was shaken by a collision with a large meteorite. At the site of impact, a cloud of dust formed, covering the Sun. The huge funnel was gradually filled with fresh waters of inland rivers, mixed with the salty waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The rotation of the Earth changed the shape of the bay off the coast of Central America for many years, and gradually it took on the shape familiar to us.

Story

The state of Mexico on the world map appeared relatively recently. But people have mastered the Mexican Gulf Coast since time immemorial. Before the beginning of the era of great discoveries, the shores of the bay were inhabited by various tribes of Indians who were at different stages of development. The southern coast of the Gulf of Mexico was inhabited by the developed slave-owning civilizations of Central America. Cities with developed infrastructure flourished here. Cuba was inhabited by small tribes of Arawaks and Caribs, who hunted and fished.

The invasion of European conquerors led to a radical change in the way of life of the inhabitants of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. The brutal conquests of the conquistadors bled the indigenous population of Central America. The Gulf of Mexico became the scene of naval battles for the right to own the sea routes from the New to the Old World. Gradually, the hard assimilation of the indigenous peoples of America was replaced by a soft one. The Spanish and French colonial models allowed the Americans to coexist alongside the conquering peoples.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Mexican lands changed owners, and the system began to adapt to the new, aggressive Anglo-American way of life. The Louisiana Purchase, the Florida intervention, and the occupation of Texas led to the complete US takeover of the entire Gulf Coast. Consequently local population was pushed back from the coast, on which new cities and industrial enterprises arose. As an independent state, Mexico appeared on the world map in 1821.

Population

The population of the Gulf of Mexico has an extremely heterogeneous composition. White settlers of various nationalities live here: Cajuns, mulattoes, mestizos and African Americans.

Oil fields

The first oil and gas fields in the Gulf of Mexico were discovered offshore by American marine geologists in 1896. The richest oil deposits: Agua-Duls-Stratton, Cartridge, Kayu-Aldlen. They were opened in the 30s of the 20th century. Oil fields in the Mexican part of the water area were discovered already in the 70s. The most famous oil deposits are the famous fields of Bermudez, Cantarell and Iris Giraldas. In total, about five thousand oil fields were discovered, the vast majority of which are located in the waters of the United States.

Tragedy of 2010

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil platform exploded. The tragedy occurred 80 kilometers from the Louisiana coast in US territorial waters. As a result of the tragedy, 11 people went missing, four were injured of varying severity. The platform's capacity was 8,000 barrels of oil per day. After the explosion, a huge fire broke out on the platform, and after 36 hours of burning, it sank in the Gulf of Mexico. After the explosion and flooding, the well was put out of action, and oil began to flow directly into the waters of the bay. This catastrophe caused negative consequences, first local, and then global.

Oil slick with a total area of ​​965 sq. km approached the coast of the United States, threatening beaches, coasts and fishing areas. On April 26, underwater robots from an oil company unsuccessfully attempted to repair a breach in a well. Strong seas and stormy wind prevented the repair flotilla from fully working in the disaster area. US government agencies began to contain the spill by burning the oil slick around the perimeter.

Worldwide catastrophe

According to the most rough estimates, the Gulf of Mexico received 5,000 barrels of oil per day. On June 4, 2010, six scenarios were modeled by the US National Center for Natural Research. According to these forecasts, oil in the Gulf of Mexico should have reached the Cuban coast. In the second half of August, the oil slick was supposed to leave the Gulf of Mexico and start moving towards Europe.

During several months of 2010, BP specialists made repeated attempts to eliminate the consequences of the platform explosion. On June 9, US President B. Obama issued an ultimatum from the company's administration, according to which the perpetrators of the tragedy were given 72 hours to present a convincing plan to eliminate the disaster. On the night of June 12, the company installed a new plug weighing 70 tons at the site of the tragedy. The previous plug, which could not completely block the leak, was dismantled. In the process of reinstalling the plugs, an additional 120,000 barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico.

Day by day, the financial costs of BP to eliminate the consequences of the explosion and flooding of the platform are growing. As of June 14, 2010, its losses exceeded $1.6 billion. By September of the same year, costs had increased 9 times.

As a result of this disaster, more than 57 thousand square meters. km were contaminated. The bay area is closed to tourism and fishing activities. Restoring the ecological balance in this area will require huge funds and a long time.

Metastases in the Gulf of Mexico. Part 12-1

Compilation, translation, comments: Sister Mercy

“If the story of this film does not go beyond South Louisiana and is not told, then any corporation engaged in the extraction of terrestrial minerals will be given carte blanche to trample on democracy and establish rules that please the corporation to continue mining these minerals. This is what threatens the foundations of the Republic. Talking about it is the minimum necessary to achieve justice. And without such justice, we give them permission to behave in this way. I encourage you to spread this story, post it on your blogs, pages Facebook, on Youtube, in the news - keep telling this story until the corporate PR version of this story falls apart and the truth comes to light. Because it is not for us, our native places and our children. It's about the future of humanity."

From a speech by documentary filmmaker Josh Tickell at a press conference in N. Orleans before the premiere of a film about the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico…

News from the South American granary and resort gem

During the summer-autumn period, information about the consequences of the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico acquired some qualitatively new features. I will briefly note the most noticeable changes. Along with messages about individual, private events and facts of the "local level", the following have "entrenched" on the American Internet:

1) diverse and regular reviews, thematic collections and video reports on numerous aspects of this grandiose man-made disaster(for example, groups Gulf Watchers or eco-activist Denis Rednur);

2) behind numerous, but fragmentary and heterogeneous semi-amateur videos, investigations and reports of local TV channels, came the materials of some official proceedings (for example, March and September reports of special commissions summing up the results of a year and a half of studying the causes and consequences of an oil disaster), as well as reports of independent groups of scientists;

3) saw the light of the full-length works of documentary filmmakers on the theme of the disaster. Moreover, one of the films (The Big Fix) became a participant in the summer Cannes Film Festival (a fact that the media almost universally ignored), and is currently being shown in the US and Europe on a dot basis, causing shock to the audience. Films Freedom (Freedom; 2011), Pretty Slick ( cute oil spill; ), Spirit of the Gulf Coast (2011) are lesser known, but also noteworthy. And finally

4) activist groups and independent researchers geophysical weapons, "Gulf Plague" and biological components of chemtrails continued their work. They all point out that oil is not going anywhere; the total concealment of information and the damage caused to the ecosystem of the region continue to develop; and qualitatively new factors and consequences are to be observed in the third year after the catastrophe, in 2012-2013.

It can be stated that some researchers have come to the same conclusions as we did a year ago: behind the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is the pursuit of an unlimited global power, the ultimate goal of which will be the establishment of a technocratic nanodictatorship (commonly known as the New World Order). The first stage on the way to this goal will probably be the “uncorking” of the huge oil reserves available on the territory (in the event that they unleash World War III), and the second will be the grandiose seizure (seizure) of private and public lands and maritime territories for the planned deploying on them the production of universal biofuel from synthetic algae. By the time this project is completed, the “ballast population” should be reduced to a size acceptable to the backstage, which will increase the production efficiency of the new system and facilitate the management of the brainwashed chipped herd, completely dependent on the new “divine” government. Approximately in these categories are individual elements of the already launched process of terramorphing (Terramorphing is an artificial change in the terrain through external influences).

Facts are a stubborn thing, therefore, “running into the material being prepared” on this topic, I will note only a couple of them - those that make you think. The official owner of the drilling platform Deepwater Horizont the company is listed Transocean, the owner of which 3 years before the disaster was Goldman Sachs (What are the interests, scope and scale of the Rothschild Goldman Sachs in Russia can be judged by one document on the sale of our state assets. Everyone should know about the existence of such " pieces of paper").

Fact one. Shortly before the disaster, the drilling platform was insured, so that after it was flooded, TransOcean not only regained its full cost, but also received $ 270 million in profit. "Random" déjà vu - a repetition of the history of the twin towers from 2001 ...

Fact two. While investigating this biggest environmental disaster in mining history, mysteriously 6 hours of videos disappeared surveillance cameras "on the captain's bridge" before the explosion, as well as the "black box" located on the drilling platform. This is the first time in the history of the oil and gas industry that this has happened. Of course, by chance... And the official commissions reduced the events at the drilling site to a "random" "fatal chain of erroneous actions and decisions" that led to the worst of all possible scenarios. At the same time, after each wrong step (out of a series of all possible ones), the most dangerous and pernicious one was chosen. But this topic is still ahead.

And in this part (the first in the final series of reviews about the disaster in the Gulf) we will consider some of the listed materials on the English-language Internet. To begin with, let us once again determine the relevance of the problem. Based on a huge amount of factual material, first-hand information and direct communication with individual residents of coastal states, I can say that to this day, in different parts of the Gulf of Mexico coast, waves carry weathered and fresh oil onto land (Oil that has been destroyed under the influence of atmospheric conditions, sea ​​currents and chemicals contained in sea ​​water). Oil, oil-corexite foam , oil clots and oil plumes are fixed on the water surface, on the beaches, from aircraft and from space. Local residents still (though less frequently than before) report ongoing night flights aircraft over the Gulf in unusual "grid" routes.

The death of marine and waterfowl animals and birds is also evident. Mutation processes and biological degradation began, the population of many commercial marine species, (but if many locals believe that catching and selling infected food from the Gulf is a crime, the government and the military have a different opinion (As previously reported in the review, seafood to the population are planting, and the military buys them in huge volumes)). "Dated" video- And photographic materials, articles and operational messages on this topic abound.

Mass diseases among the population of the coastal zone do not stop either - both among the participants in the liquidation work, and among the citizens who were not associated with the oil harvesting work. Summer footage from the Gulf Coast varied. Somewhere completely empty beaches, somewhere vacationers are captured, sunbathing in the midst of oil-removing equipment and the decaying corpses of marine animals, somewhere outwardly everything is safe. The propaganda of BP and advertising agencies did their job, and some American families and foreigners succumbed to the "enticements" and spent vacation by the poisoned bay, eating seafood from it (Well, as they say, don’t complain later ...) ...

In July-August 2011, 10-15 miles from the MC252 wells from aircraft and ships, numerous plumes of fresh oil in composition identical to the oil from the BP reservoir were discovered (the story that happened in March 2011 was repeated). Chemical analysis of the material collected confirmed that this oil was from the Macondo reservoir. Video footage from VR controlled underwater vehicles was published, on which oil leaks (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe demonstrated underwater structures) were not observed. And in October 2011, video footage of an oil leak from a destroyed casing pipe (a small crater cone) at the bottom of the Gulf in the area of ​​well MC252 was also made public. Previously, a site with such an appearance and surroundings was not shown, although the shooting dates back to the end of April 2010. This once again activated the version that VR just pretended that "plugged" the emergency well. Soon, in the same region of the Gulf of Mexico, about a dozen large BP ships were seen, either engaged in some kind of work or research.

On November 21, 2011, the Judicial News Internet resource and the note "BP admits work on the Deepwater Horizon" reported that an email from a BP representative dated 11/18/2011 confirmed that there were "several ships involved in the study of natural outflows of oil from the bottom. These studies have been going on for about a month now. Data collection continues, and this week we released the latest information at the American Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) meeting in Boston. These studies document the exact location of these leaks and track the flow of oil from the seabed to the surface.”

Interestingly, despite the fact that Christopher Columbus discovered the lands of America, he sailed past a giant reservoir. The first explorer of this region was the Italian traveler Amerigo Vespucci. He ended up on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in 1497. Gradually, other travelers and discoverers began to arrive here. Therefore, after a while, the endless water surface of the Gulf of Mexico began to attract many people here. Over time, the tourism industry began to develop in the Gulf of Mexico.

The most important commercial activity in the Gulf of Mexico is fishing. Tuna, perch, swordfish, crabs and shrimp are caught here. Oysters are harvested on a huge scale in the bays. In addition, there are many sharks, whose liver is highly valued. Therefore, hammerhead shark, white shark, bull shark are caught here. For this reason, by the 21st century, the number of these marine predators has noticeably decreased. In addition, the Gulf of Mexico is rich in dolphins, which are also of commercial interest.

Also, the Gulf of Mexico is a place where valuable minerals are being developed; shipping, tourism and fishing are well developed in this area. Especially in the last century, there was an intensive growth of cities in the Gulf of Mexico, mainly in popular resorts. The wealth of the Gulf of Mexico is so great that a huge population can easily feed themselves on its shores. The treasure of the bay is called seafood and fish. In the World Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico ranks first in terms of fish stocks. Therefore, fishing enthusiasts specially go here to fish.

In addition, the Gulf of Mexico is famous for its endless beaches, where many travelers come for tourism purposes. Travel agencies offer to stay at one of the nearby hotels in order to sunbathe along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico from morning to evening. This region attracts especially couples with children, because all conditions are provided for a beach holiday. The Gulf of Mexico is a special attraction of the United States.

The Gulf of Mexico would be much more correctly called a sea. It is huge, and separated from the Atlantic Ocean by straits. The Americans call the coastline of this reservoir the third coast, after the Atlantic and Pacific. The US states of Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana adjoin the vast waters. They cover the reservoir from the north and west.

To the south are the lands of Mexico. The states such as Yucatan, Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Campeche and Veracruz overlook the bay. To the east is the island of Cuba. It is he who fences off the reservoir from the Atlantic. Communication with oceanic waters is carried out through the Straits of Florida and Yucatan.

The shape of the reservoir is oval, the area is 615 thousand square meters. miles or 1 million 544 thousand square meters. km. The total volume of water is approximately 660 quadrillion gallons or 2 million 400 thousand cubic meters. m. The maximum width is 1500 km. The bottom is a continental shelf with a maximum depth of 4384 meters. The reservoir is well warmed up by the sun's rays, so the surface waters in it are warm.

Gulf of Mexico on the map

Geology

Geologists suggest that 200 million years ago there was no huge reservoir in the south of North America. In this place, a soil cover extended, similar in composition to the soil of the Yucatan Peninsula. All this area was part of the supercontinent Pangea. The Gulf of Mexico basin was formed as a result of rifting (split) of a giant landmass. The earth's crust was stretched, covered with faults and sank between modern Florida and Yucatan. So, as a result of natural geological processes, a giant reservoir arose.

However, there is another version proposed in 2002 by geologist Michael Stanton. According to his version, the bay has an impact origin. Stanton's theory states that a huge meteorite fell to Earth 260-255 million years ago. As a result, a pit was formed, the depth of which reached 5200 meters. It was gradually filled with the waters of the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Ocean.

For the most part, specialists from geology consider the second theory to be absolutely wrong. Among them, the prevailing opinion is about plate tectonics, and not about a collision with an object from space.

Opening of the Gulf of Mexico

We all know that Christopher Columbus discovered America for the Old World. However, he did not even know about the existence of a giant reservoir, as he sailed past it, rounding Cuba and Haiti from the east. The first explorer of the third coast of the United States was an Italian traveler and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci(1454-1512). He ended up on the coast of the bay in 1497. The Italian explored the reservoir, and then went through the Strait of Florida into the Atlantic. This gave him reason to say that Cuba is spicy.

The second in a row is the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes (1485-1547). In 1506 he took an active part in the conquest of Haiti and Cuba. In 1510, he accompanied Diego Velasquez de Cuellar (1465-1524) - the governor of Cuba - on his expedition through the waters of a huge reservoir.

The third on the shores of the bay was the discoverer of Yucatan Francisco Hernandez de Cordova (year of birth unknown - died in 1517). He admired the reservoir from the south coast. And then other Europeans appeared, and the endless expanse of water ceased to beckon people with uncertainty.

Holidays on the coast

Geographic characteristics

The US coastline is 2,700 km long. The length of the Mexican part of the coast is 2805 km. 33 large rivers flow into the reservoir. The warm Atlantic current Gulf Stream originates in it. The largest bay of the reservoir is the Bay of Campeche. It is in the south and is part of Mexican waters. It should be noted that the cold deep and warm water of the upper layer sometimes create an explosive mixture, which manifests itself in the form of terrible destructive hurricanes. Here you can name such hurricanes as Katrina, Ivan and Gustav.

In general, the Gulf of Mexico is considered aseismic. Throughout history, only mild tremors have been recorded, not exceeding 5 on the Richter scale. The only strong earthquake was recorded on September 10, 2006. Its amplitude was 6 points on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremors was located southwest of Florida at 400 km. The shudder of the land was felt by the inhabitants of Louisiana and Florida. But there were no casualties, injuries or destruction.

commercial activity

Fishing is one of the most important commercial activities. They catch perch, tuna, shrimp, crabs, swordfish. Oysters are harvested on a huge scale in the bays. There are many sharks in the water. The liver of these selachians is highly valued. Therefore, the white shark, hammerhead shark, bull shark are subject to capture. But in the 21st century, the number of toothy predators has noticeably decreased. There are many dolphins in the waters of the bay, which are also of commercial interest.

In terms of industrial activity, the continental shelf is rich in oil and gas. These minerals are extracted using oil platforms through drilling. The main part of the platforms is concentrated in the western part of the reservoir and in the Gulf of Campeche.

The economy is the economy, but sometimes irrepressible human activity provokes terrible tragedies. In April 2010, there was an explosion and fire on an oil platform 65 km off the coast of Louisiana. At the same time, an oil well was damaged, and oil flowed into the ocean. Almost 14 thousand tons of oil flowed out per day. The oil film fettered the waters of the Atlantic and disrupted heat transfer. All this led to heavy heavy rains in Western Europe and abnormal heat in Eastern Europe.

burning oil

The Gulf of Mexico is home to one of the largest hypoxic dead zones. This term refers to an area in the world's oceans with extremely low oxygen concentrations. And such a zone arises due to excessive environmental pollution as a result of human activity.

The dead area stretches along the coast of Texas and Louisiana. In terms of area, it is 21 thousand square meters. km. This figure has doubled since 1985 as a result of water saturation with nitrogen and phosphorus. Harmful chemical elements got into the water from agricultural areas, which are extremely numerous on the northern coast of the reservoir. There are also 27,000 abandoned and forgotten oil wells in the bay. No one can say what ecological state they are in.

At the same time, it should be noted that the reservoir is the most important transport artery. It is crossed by ships from almost all countries of the world. Accordingly, tourism is developed, and there are many large seaports on the coast. The main task is to normalize the ecological situation in this region, which is important in all respects..