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Apr 2, 2024 · For example, the wind, tides, water density, rotation, and even ocean floor topography influence currents in the oceans. Finally, the lesson contrasts the differences between surface and deep ocean currents. For example, surface currents control the motion of about 10% of the upper ocean space.
Distinctive white lines trace the flow of surface currents around the world. An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. [1]
This article focuses on six major ocean currents that play the most prominent role in shaping the Earth’s climate and ecosystems. Read on if you want to know the names of these ocean currents, how they are formed, their unique benefits, and more.
Currents driven by thermohaline circulation occur at both deep and shallow ocean levels and move much slower than tidal or surface currents. The Currents Tutorial is an overview of the types of currents, what causes them, how they are measured, and how they affect people's lives.
Surface currents play a large role in determining climate. These currents bring warm water from the equator to cooler parts of the ocean; they transfer heat energy. Let’s take the Gulf Stream as an example; you can find the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic Ocean in Figure 14.15.
The answer is ocean currents. Ocean currents are continuous movements of water in the ocean that follow set paths, kind of like rivers in the ocean. They can be at the water's surface or go to the deep sea; some are very large, like Japan's Kuroshio Current, which is equal in volume to 6,000 large rivers, while others are small and unnamed.
Oceanic currents describe the movement of water from one location to another. Currents are generally measured in meters per second or in knots (1 knot = 1.85 kilometers per hour or 1.15 miles per hour). Oceanic currents are driven by three main factors: The rise and fall of the tides.
