How do trade winds affect surface currents in the Caribbean Sea?

In the Caribbean Sea, surface currents enter primarily through the channels and passages of the southern Antilles. Once these waters enter the sea, the trade winds act as a driving force, pushing the surface water westward toward the Yucatán Channel.1

This wind-driven movement forces the water into the Gulf of Mexico, where it accumulates and creates a higher average sea level compared to the Atlantic Ocean. This accumulation generates a hydrostatic head—a pressure gradient—that is considered the primary driving force behind the Gulf Stream. The resulting flow, known as the Caribbean Current, serves as a critical component of the broader Atlantic ocean-current system.12