Sensitivity of Loop Current metrics and eddy detachments to different model configurations: The impact of topography and Caribbean perturbations

The seasonal distribution of LCE separations in the experiments does not appear to be controlled by the strength of the barotropic and baroclinic instability source terms. Instead, a necessary but not sufficient condition for LCE separations is that the LC extends beyond 24° N. Our results indicate that caution should be exercised when interpreting LC statistics from a single numerical configuration.