WIND FORCING AND SHELF CURRENT VARIABILITY DURING COLD FRONTS OFF NORTHERN YUCATAN
Ocean currents along the Yucatan Shelf are influenced by wind forcing, yet the oceanic response to cold front events remains underexplored. Here we analyze the impact of three cold fronts that passed during November 2025 on the coastal ocean, using several in situ acoustic Doppler current profilers, high-frequency radars, and ERA5 meteorological data, to assess the atmospheric and oceanic variability along the northern Yucatan Peninsula. Results show that cold fronts induce significant cooling of air and sea temperature, increase wind speed, wave height, and wave period, while causing a drop in sea surface height and enhancing westward shelf currents across the study area. Correlation analyses reveal spatial variability in wind-driven current responses, with stronger coupling nearshore and shifts in dominant wind components during intense events. These findings improve understanding of ocean-atmosphere interactions over the Yucatan shelf, highlighting the dynamic influence of cold fronts on coastal circulation and thermal structure, which is critical for regional marine ecosystem and climate assessments.