Editing Yucatán Channel (section)

==Currents==
The Yucatán Channel separates Cuba from the [[Yucatán Peninsula]] of Mexico and links the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. The strait is {{convert|217|km|mi}} across between [[Cape Catoche]] in Mexico and [[Cape San Antonio, Cuba|Cape San Antonio]] in Cuba.<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/654543/Yucatan-Channel Britannica]</ref> It has a maximum depth near the Cuban coast of {{convert|2,779|m}}.<ref>[http://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Yucatan+Strait Free Dictionary]</ref> Water flows through the Caribbean Sea from east to west. This flow consists of 5 [[Sverdrup|Sv]] of water from the [[North Equatorial Current]] flowing through the [[Windward Passage]] and 12 Sv of water from the [[South Equatorial Current]] which flows along the coast of Brazil. The total flow is about 17 Sv at a temperature of at least {{convert|17|C|F}}. When this water flows past the Yucatán Peninsula it becomes the Yucatán Current.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/caribbean/caribbean.html |title=The Caribbean Current |author1=Gyory, Joanna |author2=Mariano, Arthur J. |author3=Ryan, Edward H. |work=Ocean surface currents |access-date=2013-08-31}}</ref> This current provides most of the inflow of water into the Gulf of Mexico as the amount of water entering by the [[Straits of Florida]] is small and intermittent.<ref name=Gyory/> The Yucatán Current flows strongly on the western side of the channel while the Cuban Countercurrent flows in the opposite direction on the easterly side of the channel. Underneath the Yucatán Current there is a southward-flowing Yucatán Undercurrent which takes water away from the Gulf of Mexico.<ref name=Gyory>{{cite web |url=http://oceancurrents.rsmas.miami.edu/caribbean/yucatan.html |title=The Yucatan Current |author1=Gyory, Joanna |author2=Mariano, Arthur J. |author3=Ryan, Edward H. |work=Ocean surface currents |access-date=2013-08-31}}</ref>