currents

Ocean Gyre

A large system of rotating ocean currents, primarily driven by the Global Wind Belt and the Coriolis effect. There are total of 5 major subtropical gyres on Earth.

The Five Major Gyres

1. North Atlantic Gyre
2. South Atlantic Gyre
3. North Pacific Gyre
4. South Pacific Gyre
5. Indian Ocean Gyre

Western Boundary Currents

Currents that flow along the western side of ocean basins. Characteristics include:

• Speed: Fast
• Depth: Deep
• Width: Narrow
• Temperature: Warm (moving from equator to poles)
• Example: Gulf Stream

Eastern Boundary Currents

Currents that flow along the eastern side of ocean basins. Characteristics include:

• Speed: Slow
• Depth: Shallow
• Width: Wide
• Temperature: Cold (moving from poles to equator)
• Example: Canary Current

Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC)

Also known as the West Wind Drift, it is the only current that flows completely around the globe without being blocked by land. It flows eastward through the Southern Ocean.

Gulf Stream

A powerful, warm western boundary current in the North Atlantic that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows north along the East Coast of the United States.

North Atlantic Current

A powerful warm western boundary current that extends from the Gulf Stream and flows northeast across the Atlantic, warming the climate of Western Europe.

Canary Current

The cold eastern boundary current of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre, flowing south along the coast of North Africa and Europe.

North Equatorial Current (Atlantic)

An westward-flowing current in the North Atlantic that completes the southern loop of the North Atlantic Gyre.

Labrador Current

A cold current in the North Atlantic that flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and Newfoundland, meeting the Gulf Stream.

Brazil Current

The warm western boundary current of the South Atlantic Gyre, flowing south along the coast of Brazil.

Benguela Current

The cold eastern boundary current of the South Atlantic Gyre, flowing north along the west coast of Africa.

South Atlantic Current

The eastward-flowing current that connects the Brazil Current to the Benguela Current in the South Atlantic Gyre.

Kuroshio Current

The warm western boundary current of the North Pacific Gyre, flowing north along the coast of Japan (Japan Current).

North Pacific Current

A slow, eastward-flowing current that crosses the North Pacific, connecting the Kuroshio and California currents.

California Current

The cold eastern boundary current of the North Pacific Gyre, flowing south along the West Coast of North America.

North Equatorial Current (Pacific)

A westward-flowing current in the North Pacific that completes the southern loop of the North Pacific Gyre.

East Australian Current (EAC)

The warm western boundary current of the South Pacific Gyre, flowing south along the east coast of Australia.

Peru Current (Humboldt Current)

A cold eastern boundary current in the South Pacific that flows north along the west coast of South America; it is highly productive for fishing due to upwelling.

South Pacific Current

The eastward-flowing current in the South Pacific that connects the East Australian Current to the Peru Current.

Agulhas Current

The warm western boundary current of the Indian Ocean Gyre, flowing south along the southeast coast of Africa.

West Australian Current

The cold eastern boundary current of the Indian Ocean Gyre, flowing north along the west coast of Australia.

Somali Current

An ocean boundary current that flows along the coast of Somalia and Oman, notable because it reverses its direction seasonally due to the Monsoons.

Oyashio Current

A cold subarctic current in the North Pacific that flows south along the coast of Kamchatka and Japan.

Norwegian Current

A warm current that branches off from the North Atlantic Current, flowing north along the coast of Norway into the Arctic Ocean.

Equatorial Countercurrent

An eastward-flowing surface current found between the North and South Equatorial currents in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans.

Florida Current

A component of the Gulf Stream system that flows through the Straits of Florida and along the Florida coast.

East Wind Drift

A westward-flowing current located close to the Antarctic continent, driven by polar easterly winds.

Alaska Current

A warm-water current that flows northward along the coast of British Columbia and the Alaska Panhandle, forming a subpolar gyre.

South Equatorial Current

A westward-flowing current present in all three major ocean basins, driven by the trade winds near the equator.

Ekman Transport

The net motion of fluid as a result of a balance between Coriolis and turbulent drag forces. In the Northern Hemisphere, transport is 90 degrees to the right of the wind direction.

Antilles Current

A warm current that flows north of the Greater Antilles and then joins the Florida Current to form the Gulf Stream.