I have found that the intrusion of the Loop Current (LC) into the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) depends on the difference in monthly average mean sea level (MSL) between Grand Cayman Island in the Caribbean and Settlement Point in the Bahamas. A deep intrusion of the LC into the GoM results in a big pool of warm, deep water which can energize hurricanes (like Katrina) that threaten the Gulf Coast. I estimate that there is about 60 GW more hydraulic drive power pushing water through the GoM, Florida Straits and Florida Current Channel when the LC intrusion is large, compared to when there is no intrusion. If we use floating turbines in the Yucatan Channel, Florida Straits, and Florida Current to generate electric power for desalination when we have the extra drive, we can keep the LC from intruding and reduce the hurricane threat to the Gulf Coast. We can store the fresh water for use when the sea level drive is absent.
About 35,450 dual-turbine units are required to convert the excess sea level drive into electric power for desalination. We need good data to justify such a project, but the tide gage stations on Grand Cayman have not been operational since 1996. Rather than attempt to get these rebuilt and functioning, I have been learning more about the Gulf of Mexico NearReal-Time Altimeter Data Viewer. There are two products available on a daily basis: the Sea Surface Height (SSH) Anomaly, and the SSH Anomaly with the Model Mean added. The SSH Anomaly is the daily SSH altimeter data with a long-term average subtracted out. The Model Mean is the long-term average with the Geoid subtracted out. The Geoid is the sea surface without the LC. So when you add the Model Mean to the SSH Anomaly, you get the daily altimeter data with the Geoid subtracted out. This is the second product available on the website, and it is actually the default product when you first sign onto the website. It bears a good resemblance to the LC, but I'm learning that it's not as perfect as I used to think.
I used to think that the LC followed the 17 cm contour on this plot. However, the Aug 27, 2010 SSH shows a big slow-down with a big bulge in the separation between the 0 to 30 cm contours. At this point in the LC path, the 40 and 50 cm contours are closest together, indicating that this is the location of the highest velocity, which is the nominal center of the LC. This is evidence that the LC shifts to a higher contour if it slows down. This makes sense because the greater potential energy of the high-altitude contour replaces the kinetic energy lost in the slow-down. There is a 30cm peak in the SSH Anomaly at this point, so the LC is really passing over a hill that is making it slow down. My simple picture of gravity flow should still be valid in the Florida Straits and Florida Current, but the LC requires a lot more work.