Gulf of Mexico

The Gulf of Mexico borders the southeastern coast of North America. It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by the Straits of Florida, running between the peninsula of Florida and the island of Cuba, and to the Caribbean Sea by the Yucatán Channel, which runs between the Yucatán Peninsula and Cuba.

The deepest point of the Gulf of Mexico is called Sigsbee Deep. It is 17,070 feet (5,203 meters) below sea level in the Mexico Basin. The Gulf of Mexico is, however, unusually flat, with a gradient of only about 1 foot (0.3 meters) in every 8,000 feet (2,440 meters).

The Gulf of Mexico contains large deposits of petroleum and natural gas. Sulfur is extracted from wells drilled on the continental shelf off Louisiana. Oyster shells obtained from the shallow waters are used in the chemical industry as a source of calcium carbonate and also provide material for building roads.

Hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico officially runs from June 1 to November 30. During this time, meteorologic and oceanographic conditions are conducive for hurricanes to develop anywhere in the gulf. Particularly devastating hurricanes included one that struck Galveston, Texas, in 1900 and another that devastated New Orleans and surrounding areas in 2005.