POSSIBLE El NIÑO AND NAO INFLUENCES ON GULF OF MEXICO METEOTSUNAMIS

Analysis of 19-year time series of water levels in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico has revealed that meteotsunamis are ubiquitous in this region. On average, 1-2 meteotsunamis with wave heights > 0.5 m occur each year in this area. The probability of meteotsunami occurrence is highest during March-April and June-August. In NW Florida most of the events are triggered by winter storms, while in W and SW Florida they appear both in winter and summer. The most intense meteotsunami-genic periods took place during El Niño periods (1997-1998 and 2009-2010), which coincided with periods of negative North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO). Meteotsunamis were also active in 2005, a year characterized by exceptionally intense tropical cyclone activity. Meteotsunami incidence varied seasonally, yearly, and at periods between 2 and 5 years. Results from cross-wavelet analysis suggested that El Niño and NAO variations affected meteotsunami activity at semi-annual, annual, and longer period bands.