Near-inertial oscillations (NIOs) are important for maintaining turbulent mixing that affects ocean circulation, biogeochemistry, and climate. The spatial and temporal variability of NIOs in the deep part of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM) has rarely been reported. In this study, a collection of moored current observations was used to examine the spatiotemporal variability of NIOs in the GoM. In the upper layer (0–800 m), a strong seasonal variability of NIOs appears in the eastern GoM with larger amplitudes in winter than in summer and is attributed to the seasonal variability of surface winds and mixed layer depth. In the bottom layer (within 400 m above the bottom), strong NIOs are found in the middle and eastern GoM and show weaker seasonal variability. While winds still matter for the seasonal variability of NIOs in the bottom layer in the eastern GoM, low-frequency flows generally play a more important role in regulating NIOs through interactions with topography, particularly on the continental slope.

近惯性振荡 (NIO) 对于维持影响海洋环流、生物地球化学和气候的湍流混合非常重要。墨西哥湾深部NIO的时空变化（GoM）很少有报道。在本研究中，使用一系列系泊电流观测值来检查 GoM 中 NIO 的时空变化。在上层（0-800 m），墨西哥湾东部出现强烈的 NIO 季节变化，冬季幅度大于夏季，这归因于地面风和混合层深度的季节变化。在底层（距底层400 m以内），墨西哥湾中部和东部地区存在较强的NIO，且季节变化较弱。虽然风对于墨西哥湾东部底层 NIO 的季节性变化仍然很重要，但低频流通常通过与地形的相互作用在调节 NIO 方面发挥更重要的作用，特别是在大陆坡上。