What happens when the Gulf of Mexico stores more heat beneath its surface than the weather map can show?

In this episode of The Climate Translation, Dr. Mac explores the Loop Current, the massive flow of warm Caribbean water that enters the Gulf, bends northward, sheds enormous warm-core eddies, and eventually exits through the Florida Straits. Drawing on his experience forecasting tropical storms along the South Texas coast, he explains why the depth of warm water matters just as much as the temperature at the surface.

The episode also examines research showing that the Gulf has warmed rapidly over recent decades, how that deeper reservoir of heat can influence hurricanes and severe weather far inland, and how the Loop Current connects to the Florida Current and Gulf Stream. Along the way, ...