Ocean Currents in Atlantic Ocean

Last time we told you about Oceanography and this article is a part of it.

Warm Ocean Currents

The following currents are the warm ocean current in Atlantic Ocean.

1. Equatorial (North & South) Currents.
2. Gulf Stream Current.
3. Florida Current
4. North Atlantic Drift
5. Brazil Current
6. Counter Equatorial Current

The current in Equatorial Regions include westward flowing, north and south equatorial currents, which can be separated by counter equatorial current. These current are flowing under the influence of trade winds and they are generally very highly developed along the Africa coast. The normal speed is 23 cm/sec and it also may reach up to 125 cm/sec. These currents strike with projected land of south usa and bifurcate towards north and south and move from warmer colder region down the western margin of oceans.

The deflected water of such currents accumulate in Carribean sea and water moves through strait between Florida and Cuba as Florida current. This current moves ahead over the eastern coast of USA since the Gulf-Stream current. The common speed with this current is 100 cm/sec. It may reach upto 300 cm/sec. It's on the list of strongest ocean currents using a dimension of 50 to 150 km width and 1000 metres depth. It moves over the USA coast where Cape Hatteras (35 °N). From, this opnt, the Gulf Stream is North Atlantic Drift. North of manchester Atlantic Drift is put into three branches one moves eastwards to Britain, northwards to Arctic sea nad southwards as Canary cold current.

Moreover, the south equatorial current strikes with Cape Sao Rogue of South America and is separated into two branches - one among with moves southwards down the coast of Brazil current. Near 30 °S it comes down intoxicated by Westerlies and moves from south-west to north-east to merge with cold wind drift, called as South Atlantic Drift or current. On the western coast of Africa it moves northwards as Benguela Cold Current.

Caused by flow of equatorial current from east to west, the stream of eastern side is displaced and accumulates over the western side. Thus an existing from west to east flows between north and south equatorial current, as being a supplementary to compensate the displaced water on the eastern margin of the ocean, is known as Counter Equatorial current.

Cold Ocean Currents

The following are the cold currents in Atlantic Ocean.

1. Labrador Current
2. Canary Current
3. Benguela Current
4. Falkland Current

Inside the north Atlantic Ocean, an ocean current which flows from bay of Baffin through Davis straight Southward is recognized as Labrador Current. This current is originated because of prevailing north-east polar easterlies in sub-polar area. It moves across the Labrodor and Canadian coast and merges with Gulf Stream east of 500 W near Newfoundland. On account of mixing of two contrasting current, Grand Bank is an important fishing ground.

Across the eastern margin with the Atlantic Ocean in temperate region, flu current is flowing southward as the branch of North Atlantic Drift. Caused by upwelling of cold water the existing is cold current, called Canary. Moreover, South Atlantic Ocean has two cold current - one across the coast of South Africa along with other down the eastern coast of South America. Both of them are the northward extension of wester drift. Their names are Falkland and Benguela caused by name of islands along that they are flowing. These are cold currents as move from high latitudes to low latitudes.

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