Tehuantepecer

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Tehuantepecer - a violent mountain-gap wind traveling along Chivela Pass. It originates in the Bay of Campeche as a northerly wind which crosses the isthmus and blows through the gap between the Mexican and Guatemalan mountains. The synoptic condition is associated with high forming in Sierra Madre. The wind reaches 2-40kt and on occasions 100kt. The outflow may form rope cloud over the Gulf of Tehuantepec. These winds can be observed on satellite pictures such as scatterometer winds measurements, they influence waves, propagating as swell and sometimes observed 1000 miles away (e.g., in Galapagos Islands). These strong winds bring cooler sub-surface waters and may last 4--7 days.

[edit] References

  • Steenburgh, W. J., D. M. Schultz, B. A. Colle, 1998: The Structure and Evolution of Gap Outflo over the Gulf of Tehuantepec, Mexico. Monthly Weather Review: Vol. 126, pp. 2673-2691
  • Romero-Centeno R, Zavala-Hidalgo J, Gallegos A, et al., Isthmus of Tehuantepec wind climatology and ENSO signal, JOURNAL OF CLIMATE 16 (15): 2628-2639 AUG 1 2003
  • Bourassa MA, Zamudio L, O'Brien JJ, Noninertial flow in NSCAT observations of Tehuantepec winds, JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-OCEANS 104 (C5): 11311-11319 MAY 15 1999
  • Chelton DB, Freilich MH, Esbensen SK, Satellite observations of the wind jets off the Pacific coast of Central America. Part I: Case studies and statistical characteristics, MONTHLY WEATHER REVIEW 128 (7): 1993-2018 Part 1 JUL 2000
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