Sea currents of the Atlantic Ocean. Message about the atlantic ocean

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ocean currents
Atlantic Ocean
The northern trade wind current is warm………………… (Sptt)

The Gulf Stream is warm …………………………. (gtt)

The Antilles current is warm …………………… ……… (Att)

The North Atlantic Current is warm…………… (Satt)

caribbean current warm……………………………. (Kartt)

The Lomonosov Current is warm…………………………… (TLT)

The Guinean current is warm ……………………………(Gwth)

The Brazilian current is warm ………………………….(Brtt)

The Canary current is cold ………………………. (Kanth)

Labrador current is cold ………………… (Labth)

The Bengal current is cold ……………………. (Benth)

The Falkland Current is cold…………………… (Folth)

The course of the western winds is cold ……………… .. (Твх)

Indian Ocean

The monsoon current is warm………………………………… (Tmt)

The south trade wind current is warm …………………… (Yuptt)

The Madagascar current is warm………………….. (Madtt)

The Somali current is cold…………………… (Somth)

The course of the western winds is cold………………… (Twvh)

Pacific Ocean

The North Pacific current is warm…………. (Sttt)

The Alaska current is warm ……………………………(Att)

The Kuroshio current is warm …………………………………(TKt)

The trade wind countercurrent is warm……………. (Mprt)

South trade wind current is warm …………………….(Yuptt)

Cromwell current, warm ………………………………(TKt)

East Australian current warm………… (WAth)

The California current is cold………………… (Kalth)

The Peruvian current is cold ………………………(Perth)

The course of the western winds is cold………….…….. (Tzvh)

Arctic Ocean

Svalbard current is warm ……………………..(Shtt)

The Norwegian current is warm……………………….…… (Ntt)

East Greenland Current is cold………(VGth)
Notes: 1. In pacific ocean fewer currents than in the Atlantic Ocean.

(15 currents in the Atlantic, 10 in the Pacific, 5 in the Indian and 3 in the North. Total: 33 currents.

Of these: 22 are warm, 11 are cold).

2. The cold westerly wind current (Twwh) covers three oceans.

3. The warm south-trade current (Juptt) also flows through three oceans.

4. Warm trade wind countercurrents (Mprt) are located in two large oceans:

in the Pacific and Atlantic.

5. Warm northern currents (Atlantic and Pacific) - are available in two oceans.

6. In the Atlantic Ocean: 10 warm currents, 5 cold.

In the Pacific Ocean: 7-warm, 3-cold.

In the Indian Ocean: 3-warm, 2-cold.

In the Northern Ocean: 2-warm, 1-cold.

Answer left a guest

North trade wind current warm Gulf Stream current warm Antilles current warm North Atlantic current warm Caribbean current warm Intertrade countercurrent warm South trade wind current warm Lomonosov current warm Guinea current warm Brazil current warm Canary current cold Labrador current cold Bengal current cold Falkland current cold West wind current cold Monsoon current warm South trade wind current warm Madagascar current warm Somali current cold West wind current cold North Pacific current warm Alaska current warm Kuroshio current warm Equatorial countercurrent warm South trade wind current warm Cromwell Current, warm East Australian current warm California current cold Peruvian current cold West wind current cold Svalbard current warm Norwegian current warm East Greenland current cold

The fastest and coldest current in the southern hemisphere of the Earth

New deep current

A new deep-sea current was discovered by oceanologists. This current owes its formation to the melting of glaciers, which has only intensified recently. It carries cold waters from the coast of Antarctica to the most equatorial latitudes - this is exactly what Japanese and Australian scientists told the world when they published the results of their research in the journal Nature Geoscience.

According to the observations of scientists, glacial melt water enters the Ross Sea and keeps its course east to the underwater Kerguelen Plateau, located 3,000 km southwest of the Australian continent. The waters are then literally thrown into the ocean in a fast current. This relatively small and narrow stream, no more than 50 km wide, originates at a depth of 3 km. Its temperature is almost 0 degrees, or more precisely - 0.2 oC.

Current speed 700 meters per hour

Scientists looked closely at this current for almost two years and found that it is capable of carrying 30 million cubic meters water in just one second, that is, its speed is no less than 700 m / h. Another, the same cold and fast current, located in the Southern Ocean, has not yet been found.

It is very difficult to identify and study such currents. In addition to the time spent, the researchers took 30 impressive automatic stations, which had to be placed along the entire proposed course, and then regularly collect and process the readings of these stations, analyzing literally everything. After a two-year stay on the seabed, the specialists removed them and again carefully compared and studied all the indicators of the instruments.

Currents as an indicator of planetary health

This discovery, as scientists say, helps us to study the mechanism of interaction between melting glaciers and the waters of the oceans, which is still largely a mystery to people, and also to better understand how the oceans will react to the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

It is worth noting that the Gulf Stream is the most powerful warm current in the world ocean, and the West Wind Drift is considered the most powerful current in the world.

Victoria Fabisek, Samogo.Net

Warm and cold currents

sea ​​currents(ocean currents) - translational movements of water masses in the seas and oceans, due to various forces (the action of the friction force between water and air, pressure gradients arising in water, tide-forming forces of the Moon and the Sun). The direction of sea currents is greatly influenced by the rotation of the Earth, which deflects currents in the Northern Hemisphere to the right, in the Southern Hemisphere - to the left.

Sea currents are caused either by the friction of the wind on the sea surface (wind currents), or by the uneven distribution of temperature and salinity of the water (density currents), or by the level slope (runoff currents). According to the nature of variability, there are constant, temporary and periodic (of tidal origin), by location - surface, subsurface, intermediate, deep and near-bottom. By physical and chemical properties - desalinated and salty.

Warm and cold sea currents

In these currents, the water temperature is respectively higher or lower than the ambient temperature. Warm currents are directed from low to high latitudes (for example, the Gulf Stream), cold currents are directed from high to low (Labrador). Currents with the temperature of the surrounding waters are called neutral.

The temperature of the current is considered relative to the surrounding waters. A warm current has a water temperature several degrees higher than the surrounding ocean water. Cold flow is the opposite. Warm currents usually move from warmer latitudes to colder latitudes, while cold ones do the opposite. You already know that currents significantly affect the climate of the coasts. Thus, warm currents increase the air temperature by 3-5 0C and increase the amount of precipitation. Cold currents lower temperatures and reduce rainfall.

On the geographical maps warm currents are shown with red arrows, cold ones with blue arrows.

The Gulf Stream is one of the largest warm currents in the Northern Hemisphere. It passes through the Gulf of Mexico (eng. Gulf Stream - the Gulf) and carries the warm tropical waters of the Atlantic Ocean to high latitudes. This giant stream of warm water largely determines the climate of Europe, making it soft and warm. Every second, the Gulf Stream carries 75 million tons of water (for comparison: the Amazon, the most full-flowing river in the world, is 220 thousand tons of water). At a depth of about 1 km under the Gulf Stream, a countercurrent is observed.

Note another current in the Atlantic - the North Atlantic. It runs across the ocean to the east, towards Europe. The North Atlantic Current is less powerful than the Gulf Stream. The water flow here is from 20 to 40 million cubic meters per second, and the speed is from 0.5 to 1.8 km/h, depending on the location.
However, the influence of the North Atlantic Current on the climate of Europe is very noticeable. Together with the Gulf Stream and other currents (Norwegian, North Cape, Murmansk), the North Atlantic Current softens the climate of Europe and the temperature regime of the seas washing it. Only one warm current, the Gulf Stream, cannot have such an impact on the climate of Europe: after all, the existence of this current ends thousands of kilometers from the coast of Europe.

In the Pacific Ocean off the coast South America cold Peruvian Current. The air masses that form above its cold waters are not saturated with moisture and do not bring precipitation to land. As a result, there is no precipitation on the coast for several years, which led to the emergence of the Atacama Desert there.

The most powerful current of the World Ocean is the cold current of the West Winds, also called the Antarctic circumpolar (from lat. cirkum - around). The reason for its formation are strong and stable westerly winds blowing from west to east over vast expanses of the Southern Hemisphere from temperate latitudes to the coast of Antarctica. This current covers a zone 2500 km wide, extends to a depth of more than 1 km and carries up to 200 million tons of water every second. There are no large land masses in the path of the West Winds, and it connects in its circular flow three waters oceans - Pacific, Atlantic and Indian.

At first glance, the world's oceans appear to be a gigantic static reservoir of salt water, the only movement in which is carried out in the form of waves. However, this is far from being the case - in each ocean there are dozens of large and small currents that affect a significant part of their area. The Atlantic Ocean is no exception.

Classification of the sea currents of the Atlantic

For a long time, the Atlantic has been famous for its sea currents; sailors have been using them for many centuries as a wide sea "road". Sea currents of the Atlantic Ocean are two large circles of circulation, almost isolated from each other. One of them is located in the northern part of the ocean, and the second in the south. At the same time, in the southern "circle" the water moves counterclockwise, and in the northern part of the Atlantic - on the contrary, clockwise. This direction of movement is due to the Coriolis law.

These circulation "circles" are not strictly isolated - turbulent eddies form on their outer edges in the form of separating flows. In the northern hemisphere, the most famous is Greenland, gradually turning into Labrador. In the southern hemisphere, the Guiana Current separates from the South Trade Wind, rushing north and joining the North Trade Wind there.

Everything sea ​​currents of the atlantic ocean divided into warm and cold. But such a division is purely conditional. In systematics, their main role is played by the temperature of the surrounding mass of water. For example, conventionally, the flow of the North Cape has an average temperature of 6-8 o C, but is considered warm, because the temperature Barents Sea, into which it flows, is only 2-4 degrees. Similarly, the Canary current is considered cold, although its temperature is much higher than that of the North Cape.

In addition to separation by temperature, the sea currents of the Atlantic Ocean are:

• Gradient - caused by the difference in temperature and density of water in different parts seas.
• Wind (drift) - they arise under the influence of winds, most often blowing in a given area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe ocean.
• Tidal, arising under the influence of the force of attraction of the moon and the sun.

Causes of sea currents

The main causes of sea currents in the Atlantic Ocean are:

• Coriolis force arising as a result of inertia liquid medium. The mass of water that fills the ocean simply does not keep up with the planet rotating around its axis.
• The difference in temperature and density of water. These factors are decisive for the emergence of deep currents.
• The effect of winds on the ocean surface.

All of these factors are not isolated, but affect the ocean in a complex, leading to the emergence of water circulation. For the most part, the currents affect spaces limited in depth, not exceeding a few hundred meters. But in width they can reach several hundred, or even a thousand kilometers. For example, the subantarctic current of the West Winds is sometimes up to 2,000 km wide, moving 270 million cubic meters of water per second, which is 2,000 times the volume of the Amazon.

The main sea currents of the Atlantic Ocean

There are several tens (or even hundreds) of permanent sea currents in the Atlantic. It is simply not possible to list all of them. Let's dwell on the most significant. TO main sea ​​currents of the atlantic ocean relate:

• Gulfstream. This is perhaps one of the most grandiose and widely known course of the Atlantic Ocean. Its average width is 100-150 km, and the depth reaches 1 km. The total volume of water moved by it is about 75 million m3, which is ten times more than the volume of all the rivers of the planet. It originates in the Gulf of Mexico, which is reflected in the name: gulf stream - “the course of the gulf”. Further, it goes along the east coast of the United States, gradually deviating to the east.
• North Atlantic. To the southeast of the Newfoundland peninsula, the Gulf Stream splits into two new streams: the North Atlantic Current and the Canary. The North Atlantic, carrying warm water, continues the path of the Gulf Stream to the east, and reaches the northwestern coast of Europe, causing a mild climate there. In the Faroe region, the northern Greenland current separates from it, and the rest goes around Norway in the form of the North Cape current and reaches the Barents Sea. Thanks to him, we have an ice-free port of Murmansk on the shores of the Arctic Ocean.
• Canarian. It is the southern, right branch of the North Atlantic Sea Current. Passing along the western coast of the Iberian Peninsula and Morocco, it reaches the Canaries, losing its strength. However, the transatlantic North Trade Wind Current originates from these places.
• Northern trade wind. It is one of the longest major sea currents in the Atlantic Ocean. It originates off the coast of Morocco and reaches the American continent in the Caribbean. Here it flows into the Caribbean Sea, smoothly turning into small currents, eventually giving rise to the Gulf Stream. Thus, the great North Atlantic circle is closed.

The southern circulation originates off the southwestern coast of Africa in the form of the cold Benguela Current (named after the coastal city in Angola). Further, heating up, the flow of water is deflected by the trade winds blowing from the continent to the west, becoming the South Trade Wind Current. At the northwestern tip of Brazil, it is divided into two branches: the Guiana Current deviates to the north, and the Brazilian Current to the south. The latter reaches the high Antarctic latitudes, merging with the course of the Western winds. The cooled mass of water is transferred to the east, to the coast South Africa, closing the southern circle sea ​​currents of the atlantic ocean.

Using the sea currents of the Atlantic Ocean

Sailors have long used the sea currents of the Atlantic to optimize movement. Most widely famous example, this is the journey of Christopher Columbus, who descended from Spain along the Canary Current to the place where the "transatlantic" was formed - the North Trade Wind Current. It was more or less safe and delivered him to the West Indies.

The use of the sea currents of the Atlantic Ocean does not lose its relevance today. If you decide to make a transatlantic crossing, then you should not “reinvent the wheel”, but simply use the sea route beaten centuries ago. That is, you need to go down to the Canary Islands or the Cape Verde Islands (Cape Verde), and go with a fair wind and current straight to New World. To some extent, it will be like rafting on a slow and wide river, of course, with adjustments for the far from riverine nature of the open ocean. No wonder experienced sailors say: any item dropped into the water off the Canary Islands will be caught in the Caribbean in a few months.

It is best to return back to Europe by the northern route, through the Gulf Stream. Sailors also have a saying about this: “The way from the Canary Islands to Europe lies through America.” This means that it is much easier to sail back from the Canary Islands via the Caribbean than to go against the grain, against the prevailing winds and the Canary current, despite the huge increase in the total length of the route. Of course, for motorized ships, the old marine advice is of little relevance, especially if there is an adequate supply of fuel on board.

Further, having reached the Caribbean Sea, along the Florida current we get to the sources of the Gulf Stream, and we rise along this grandiose sea "river" to approximately 40 o. Then turn east and through certain time, following south of the North Atlantic Stream, we reach the western tip of Europe. It was this route that Columbus returned from his voyages to the West Indies.

When using the Gulf Stream, experienced yachtsmen do not advise to rise above 40 degrees. At higher latitudes, the warm waters of the Gulf Stream collide with the northern Labrador Current, with all the resulting climatic delights: a sudden change in winds, frequent fogs and storms. No wonder the northeast coast of the United States and the Newfoundland region has long been called the "rotten corner of the Atlantic." V winter time we should also not forget about the possibility of icebergs being carried south by the Labrador Current - does anyone else remember the 20th century blockbuster Titanic?

Key questions. What are the features of the geographical position of the Atlantic Ocean? What is its role in the implementation of international economic relations?

The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest and deepest. Its area is 91.6 million km2.

Geographical position. The ocean stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the coast of Antarctica in the south. On South Drake Passage connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific. A characteristic feature of the Atlantic Ocean is the multitude of inland and marginal seas. Of the total ocean area, approximately 11% is in the seas, while in the Pacific - 8%, and in the Indian - only 2%. The presence of inland and marginal seas is mainly associated with tectonic movements. (Show on map Sargasso, Mediterranean Sea. ). The ocean has the most saline surface waters, its average salinity is 36-37‰. ( Study the salinity of the waters of the Atlantic Ocean according to the map of the textbook).

Relief The Atlantic Ocean, according to scientists, is the youngest and more leveled. Runs across the ocean Mid-Atlantic Ridge over 18,000 km long. A system of rifts runs along the ridge, where the largest volcanic island of the Earth, Iceland, was formed. It can be considered as a “product” of the expansion of the ocean floor. Depths of 3000-6000 m prevail in the vast territory of the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the Pacific Ocean, there are few deep-sea trenches in the Atlantic Ocean. The most famous Puerto Rico(8742 m) in the Caribbean Sea - the greatest depth in the Atlantic Ocean. For the economic activities of the population of coastal countries, the shelf is becoming increasingly important.

currents in the Northern Hemisphere form two rings. (Study the current system on the map. Show on the map Brazilian, Labrador, Benguela and other currents) The most famous course of the Atlantic Ocean - Gulfstream(in translation means "flow from the Gulf") - originates in the Gulf of Mexico. It carries 80 times more water than all rivers the globe. The thickness of its flow reaches 700-800 m. This mass of warm water with a temperature of up to 28 ° C moves at a speed of about 10 km / h. North of 40° N. sh. The Gulf Stream turns to the shores of Europe and here it is called North Atlantic Current. The temperature of the current water is higher than that of the ocean. Therefore, warmer and more humid air masses dominate the current and form cyclones. The ocean is characterized by rhythmically repeating tides and low tides. The highest tidal wave in the world reaches 18 m in the bay fandi off the coast of Canada . (Fig. 1) (Show on the map Brazilian and Benguela currents)

Climate. The elongation of the Atlantic Ocean from north to south determined the diversity of its climate. . It is located in all climatic zones. In the north, in the area of ​​the island of Iceland, an area of ​​low pressure is formed above the ocean, which is called the Icelandic Low. The island of Iceland is the center of the formation of cyclones. The prevailing winds over the ocean in tropical and subequatorial latitudes - trade winds, in moderate - westerly winds. Differences in atmospheric circulation cause uneven distribution of precipitation (study map "Annual rainfall"). average temperature surface water in the Atlantic Ocean is + 16.5 ° С. Surface water salinity is varied compared to other oceans. The maximum salinity of 36-37‰ is typical for tropical regions with low annual precipitation and strong evaporation. The decrease in salinity at high latitudes (32-34‰) is explained by the melting of icebergs and floating sea ice.

Natural resources and environmental issues. The Atlantic Ocean is rich in a variety of mineral resources. The largest oil and gas deposits have been explored in the shelf zone off the coast of Europe (North Sea region) (Fig. 2,3,4), America (Gulf of Mexico, Maracaibo lagoon), etc. Phosphorite deposits are significant, but ferromanganese nodules are much less common.

organic world in terms of species, it is poorer than in the Pacific and Indian, but the richest in quantitative terms. The ocean is the youngest and has been isolated from other oceans for a long time. V tropical part the greatest diversity of the organic world, the number of fish species is measured in tens of thousands. These are tuna, mackerel, sardines. V temperate latitudes- herring, cod, haddock, halibut. Jellyfish, squids, octopuses are also inhabitants of the ocean. V cold waters inhabited by large marine mammals ( whales, pinnipeds), various types of fish ( herring, cod), crustaceans. The main fish catch areas are the northeast off the coast of Europe and the northwest off the coast North America. The wealth of the ocean is brown and red algae, kelp.

According to the degree of economic use, the Atlantic Ocean ranks first among other oceans. The use of the ocean plays an important role in the development of the economy of many countries. The ocean is called "the element that unites peoples." More than 90 coastal states are located on the coasts of four continents facing the ocean. They are home to over 2 billion people. 70% of the largest cities in the world are located on its shores.

The expanses of the Atlantic Ocean are most polluted with oil and oil products. Water purification is carried out by modern methods, the discharge of production waste is prohibited.

The importance of the Atlantic Ocean in the implementation ofinternational economic relations. Vfor five centuries it has been ranked first in world shipping. The ocean is located in the "habitat center" of the peoples of various countries that determine the development of the economy and culture of the world.

1.Practical work. Apply to contour map large seas, bays, straits in the Atlantic Ocean. *2. Determine the influence of the North Atlantic Current on the nature of the coast of Europe. 3. Show on the map the countries and major cities on the Atlantic coast. **4. Using the textbook map analysis, determine the importance of oil fields in the North Sea basin for European countries?

Many people know about the Gulf Stream, which, carrying huge masses of water from the equatorial latitudes to the polar ones, literally warms the north. Western Europe and Scandinavia. But few people know that there are other warm and cold currents of the Atlantic Ocean. How do they affect the climate of coastal areas? Our article will tell about it. In fact, there are a lot of currents in the Atlantic. We briefly list them for general development. These are the West Greenland, Angola, Antilles, Benguela, Guinea, Lomonosov, Brazilian, Guiana, Azores, Gulf Stream, Irminger, Canary, East Icelandic, Labrador, Portuguese, North Atlantic, Florida, Falkland, North Equatorial, South Equatorial, and also the Equatorial countercurrent . Not all of them have a big impact on the climate. Some of them are generally part or fragments of the main, larger currents. Here about them will be discussed in our article.

Why do currents form?

In the World Ocean, large invisible "rivers without banks" are constantly circulating. Water in general is a very dynamic element. But everything is clear with rivers: they flow from the source to the mouth due to the difference in heights between these points. But what makes huge masses of water move within the ocean? Of the many reasons, two are the main ones: trade winds and changes in atmospheric pressure. Because of this, the currents are divided into drift and barogradient. The first are formed by trade winds - winds constantly blowing in one direction. Most of these currents Mighty rivers carry out to the seas a large number of water that is different from sea water in terms of density and temperature. Such currents are called stock, gravity and friction. Consideration should also be given to the great north-south extent of the Atlantic Ocean. The currents in this water area are therefore more meridional than latitudinal.

What are trade winds

Wind - here main reason movement of huge masses of water in the oceans. But what are the trade winds? The answer is to be found in the equatorial regions. The air warms up there more than in other latitudes. He rises up and upper layers the troposphere spreads towards the two poles. But already at a latitude of 30 degrees, having cooled thoroughly, it descends. Thus, a circulation of air masses is created. At the equator there is a zone low pressure, and in tropical latitudes - high. And here the rotation of the Earth around its axis manifests itself. If not for it, the trade winds would blow from the tropics of both hemispheres to the equator. But, as our planet rotates, the winds are deflected, gaining western direction. This is how the trade winds form the main currents of the Atlantic Ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, they move clockwise, and in the Southern Hemisphere, they move counterclockwise. This is because in the first case, the trade winds blow from the northeast, and in the second - from the southeast.

Climate impact

Based on the fact that the main currents originate in the equatorial and tropical regions, it would be reasonable to assume that they are all warm. But this does not always happen. The warm current in the Atlantic Ocean, having reached the polar latitudes, does not fade away, but, having made a smooth circle, reverses, but has already cooled down considerably. This can be seen in the example of the Gulf Stream. It carries warm masses of water from the Sargasso Sea to northern Europe. Then, under the influence of the rotation of the Earth, it deviates to the west. Under the name of the Labrador current, it descends along the coast North American continent to the south, cooling the coastal regions of Canada. It should be said that these masses of water are called warm and cold conditionally - with respect to temperature environment. For example, in the North Cape current in winter the temperature is only +2 °С, and in summer - maximum +8 °С. But it is called warm because the water in the Barents Sea is even colder.

Major currents of the Atlantic in the Northern Hemisphere

Here, of course, one cannot fail to mention the Gulf Stream. But other currents passing through the Atlantic Ocean also have an important influence on the climate of nearby territories. Near Cape Verde (Africa), the northeast trade wind is born. It drives huge warm masses of water to the west. Crossing the Atlantic Ocean, they connect with the Antilles and Guiana currents. This enhanced jet moves towards caribbean. After that, the waters rush to the north. This continuous clockwise movement is called the warm North Atlantic Current. Its edge at high latitudes is indefinite, blurred, and at the equator it is more distinct.

The mysterious "Current from the Gulf" (Golf-Stream)

This is the name of the course of the Atlantic Ocean, without which Scandinavia and Iceland would turn, based on their proximity to the pole, into the land of eternal snows. It used to be thought that the Gulf Stream was born in the Gulf of Mexico. Hence the name. In fact, only a small part of the Gulf Stream flows out of the Gulf of Mexico. The main flow comes from the Sargasso Sea. What is the mystery of the Gulf Stream? In the fact that, contrary to the rotation of the Earth, it does not flow from west to east, but in reverse direction. Its capacity exceeds the discharge of all the rivers of the planet. The speed of the Gulf Stream is impressive - two and a half meters per second on the surface. The current can be traced at a depth of 800 meters. And the width of the stream is 110-120 kilometers. Because of high speed currents, water from the equatorial latitudes does not have time to cool. The surface layer has a temperature of +25 degrees, which, of course, plays a paramount role in shaping the climate of Western Europe. The mystery of the Gulf Stream is also that it does not wash the continents anywhere. There is always a strip of colder water between it and the shore.

Atlantic Ocean: Currents of the Southern Hemisphere

From the African continent to the American continent, the trade wind drives a jet, which, due to low pressure in the equatorial region, begins to deviate to the south. Thus begins a similar northern cycle. However, the South Equatorial Current moves counterclockwise. It also runs across the entire Atlantic Ocean. Currents Guiana, Brazilian (warm), Falkland, Benguela (cold) are part of this cycle.

Which are known to the whole world, hides many secrets. It is rich in cold and warm water layers, which will be discussed below.

The most powerful current in the northern hemisphere is the Gulf Stream. At first, scientists thought that it originated in This is where its name came from, which means "flow from the bay." It was later proven that only part of this flow exits the Gulf of Mexico. The main current originates from the Atlantic coast of North America. Upon reaching the named ocean, the Gulf Stream deviates to the left, instead of shifting to the other side, according to the influence of the rotation of the Earth.

Antilles Current

The Antilles Current, together with the Florida Current, is a continuation of the Gulf Stream. It flows in a northerly direction from the well-known Bahamas. All of them - the Atlantic Ocean receives the Antilles water column as a result of the north equatorial flow and under the influence of the maximum speed - 2 km / h. The temperature does not exceed 28°C in summer and 25°C in winter.

North and South Equatorial Current

The southern current moves from Africa to America. In the area of ​​one of the capes it crosses, it is divided into two branches. One of them moves towards the northwest, where it changes its name to the Guiana current, and the second (named Brazilian) moves to the southwest, affecting Cape Horn. Parallel to the second is the Falkland Stream of Water.

The northern border of the Northern Equatorial Current has conditional features, while in the south the division is more noticeable. The stream begins near Cape Zeleny, or rather, from its western side. After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, the current becomes calmer and colder, therefore it changes its name to the Antilles.

These two moving streams of water are warm currents. The Atlantic Ocean is rich in such thicknesses in its water area. The rest will be discussed further.

Gulfstream

The Gulf Stream is a very powerful and extensive current that affects the climate of the American and European continents. The speed of water on its surface is 2.5 meters per second. The depth reaches 800 m, and the width is up to 120 kilometers. On the surface, the water temperature reaches 25-27 degrees Celsius, but in the middle depths it does not exceed 12 o C. Every second this current moves 75 million tons of water, which is ten times more than the mass carried by all the rivers of the Earth.

Moving to the northeast, the Gulf Stream reaches the Barents Sea. Here its waters cool and go south, forming the Greenland Current. Then it deviates again to the west and merges with the Gulf Stream.

North Atlantic Current

The North Atlantic is the second most important in such a body of water as the Atlantic Ocean. The currents that depart from the Gulf Stream are striking in their characteristics, and this one is no exception. It carries up to 40 million cubic meters of water in one second. Together with other Atlantic currents, the named has a significant impact on the weather of Europe. The Gulf Stream could not provide the continents with such a mild climate alone, because its warm waters pass at a sufficient distance from their shores.

Guinean Current

Atlantic Ocean - currents that constantly circulate in the water area. Guinean waters move from the western to the eastern. A little later they turn south. Usually, average temperature water is no more than 28 ° C. The speed in most cases does not exceed 44 km / day, although there are days when this figure reaches 88 km / day.

equatorial current

The Atlantic Ocean has a powerful countercurrent. The currents that form it are famous for their warm waters and relatively calm nature. Equatorial circulation is observed not only in the Atlantic, but also in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. It was first mentioned in the 19th century. The main difference of a countercurrent is that it moves in opposite side wind and other circulations in the middle of a certain water area.

Lomonosov Current

The Atlantic Ocean is also available here) the second longest water area in the world. In 1959, the so-called Lomonosov circulation was discovered. It is named so in honor of the ship on which scientists first crossed these waters. The average depth is 150 meters. Since we are talking about a cold current, it is necessary to clarify information about temperature regime- 20 o C is most often observed here.

sea ​​currents

The article indicates some circulations of waters, which are rich in the Atlantic Ocean. Sea currents can occur during active forces, which, firstly, create, and, secondly, change the speed and direction of flows. Their formation is strongly influenced by relief, coastline and depth.