Directional mass flow of oceanic water generated by external or internal forces
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Ocean surface currentsDistinctive white lines trace the flow of surface currents around the world.Visualization showing global ocean currents from January1, 2010, to December31, 2012, at sea level, then at 2,000 m (6,600 ft) below sea levelAnimation of circulation around ice shelves of Antarctica
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] Depth contours, shoreline configurations, and interactions with other currents influence a current's direction and strength. Ocean currents are primarily horizontal water movements.
An ocean current flows for great distances and together they create the global conveyor belt, which plays a dominant role in determining the climate of many of Earth's regions. More specifically, ocean currents influence the temperature of the regions through which they travel. For example, warm currents traveling along more temperate coasts increase the temperature of the area by warming the sea breezes that blow over them. Perhaps the most striking example is the Gulf Stream, which, together with its extension the North Atlantic Drift, makes northwest Europe much more temperate for its high latitude than other areas at the same latitude. Another example is Lima, Peru, whose cooler subtropical climate contrasts with that of its surrounding tropical latitudes because of the Humboldt Current. Ocean currents are patterns of water movement that influence climate zones and weather patterns around the world. They are primarily driven by winds and by seawater density, although many other factors – including the shape and configuration of the ocean basin they flow through – influence them. The two basic types of currents – surface and deep-water currents – help define the character and flow of ocean waters across the planet.
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An oceancurrent is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect...
the ocean, deep ocean temperatures range between −2 °C (28 °F) and 5 °C (41 °F). Constant circulation of water in the ocean creates oceancurrents. These...
A subsurface oceancurrent is an oceaniccurrent that runs beneath surface currents. Examples include the Equatorial Undercurrents of the Pacific, Atlantic...
Benguela Current /bɛŋˈɡɛlə/ is the broad, northward flowing oceancurrent that forms the eastern portion of the South Atlantic Ocean gyre. The current extends...
sea water. Wind-driven surface currents (such as the Gulf Stream) travel polewards from the equatorial Atlantic Ocean, cooling en route, and eventually...
scientific study of the oceans. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of topics, including ecosystem dynamics; oceancurrents, waves, and geophysical...
or a gas Air current, a flow of air Oceancurrent, a current in the ocean Rip current, a kind of water currentCurrent (stream), currents in rivers and...
Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) is an oceancurrent that flows clockwise (as seen from the South Pole) from west to east around Antarctica. An alternative...
The Southern Ocean, also known as the Antarctic Ocean, comprises the southernmost waters of the world ocean, generally taken to be south of 60° S latitude...
Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of the Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or,...
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about 85,133,000 km2 (32,870,000 sq mi). It covers approximately 17%...
The California Current (Spanish: Corriente de California) is a cold water Pacific Oceancurrent that moves southward along the western coast of North America...
The Agulhas Current (/əˈɡʌləs/) is the western boundary current of the southwest Indian Ocean. It flows south along the east coast of Africa from 27°S...
by its current name since at least 1515. Previously, it was called the Eastern Ocean. It has an average depth of 3,741 m. All of the Indian Ocean is in...
oceanography, a gyre (/ˈdʒaɪər/) is any large system of circulating ocean surface currents, particularly those involved with large wind movements. Gyres are...
ocean basin (the Sverdrup balance). The return flow occurs in an intense, narrow, poleward western boundary current. Like the atmosphere, the ocean is...
The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean which flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around...
as increased ocean stratification. All this can lead to changes of oceancurrents, for example a weakening of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation...
details. Sea has several definitions: A division of an ocean, delineated by landforms, currents (e.g., Sargasso Sea), or specific latitude or longitude...
The ocean temperature plays a crucial role in the global climate system, oceancurrents and for marine habitats. It varies depending on depth, geographical...
Indian Monsoon Current refers to the seasonally varying oceancurrent regime found in the tropical regions of the northern Indian Ocean. During winter...
SEC divides forming the southward flow of the EAC. It is the largest oceancurrent close to the shores of Australia. The EAC reaches a maximum velocity...
The Oyashio Current (親潮, "Parental Tide"), also known as the Okhotsk Current or Kurile Current, is a cold subarctic oceancurrent that flows south and...
The Humboldt Current, also called the Peru Current, is a cold, low-salinity oceancurrent that flows north along the western coast of South America. It...
ocean temperatures, salt content, movements of tides, currents, waves and swells Indonesia, as an archipelagic country that is three quarters ocean,...
The Leeuwin Current is a warm oceancurrent which flows southwards near the western coast of Australia. It rounds Cape Leeuwin to enter the waters south...
The Arctic Ocean is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It spans an area of approximately 14,060,000 km2 (5,430,000 sq mi) and...
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