The Peruvian current is a shallow current of the Pacific Ocean. In this article you will learn about the features of it, as well as about the phenomena that accompany it.
Peruvian current on the map
In total, there are about twenty currents in the Pacific Ocean. All of them form two main rings of water movement. The Peruvian current flows in the southeastern Pacific Ocean and continues the course of the West Winds. It washes the west coast of South America from the south coast of Chile to Peru. The current moves northward, to the equator. Approximately near the 4th degree of south latitude, deviating to the west, it merges with the South Passat current.
The Peruvian current is also called the Humboldt Current in honor of its discoverer. The Prussian explorer and geographer Alexander von Humboldt discovered it back in the 18th century aboard the Pissarro corvette.
Peruvian current: warm or cold?
Moving from south to north, it carries cold waters from the Antarctic. Along the course of the current, the ambient temperature drops significantly until it meets the South Equatorial Current off the coast of Cape Cabo Blanco in Peru. There, it already develops into a different current, but initially the Peruvian current is cold.
When cold and warm water masses meet, a sharp jump in temperature and salinity of the water is observed. The cold Peruvian current moves under warm equatorial waters, as a result of which various eddies and whirlpools can form on the surface of the water. Sometimes even bursts and sounds of bubbling water are heard.
The collision of various water flows, as well as north and north-west winds, blowing the upper stream of water to the equator, contribute to the mixing of water masses. The cold lower layers of bottom waters rise. Such water is rich in phosphates - substances that attract phytoplankton, which, in turn, also attracts larger inhabitants of the ocean. Thanks to this phenomenon, this place in the Pacific Ocean is one of the most vibrant and prosperous. Here you can find baleen whales, sperm whales and nototheni, who especially love plankton.
The influence of the current on the climate of the coast
The Humboldt Current defines the natural conditions of the west coast of South America. Carrying cold water to the equator, the Peruvian current affects the temperature of the lower layers of the atmosphere and significantly complicates the precipitation.
The result of the influence of the currents on the coast is the Atacama Desert. It is considered the driest place on our planet. There is a desert in the territory of the state of Chile, and in the north it borders with Peru. The rains here may not fall for several decades. Atakama has the lowest air humidity on Earth. And some researchers claim that in the desert there was practically no rainfall from 1570 until the middle of the twentieth century.
The unpredictable El Nino
Another phenomenon is connected with the Peruvian current, to which the locals gave the name El Nino, which means “baby boy”. It usually happens before Christmas (hence the mysterious name), once every few years. Then the usual stream of the Peruvian current is disturbed by the warm flows of the "baby", which is accompanied by a sharp change in climate. The coast is attacked by storms and prolonged downpours, causing irreparable damage to local residents. This is one of the most dangerous and destructive natural phenomena.
Conclusion
The cold Peruvian current flows in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. Combining with warm streams, it is able to bring to the surface deep, plankton-filled waters and revitalize the coastal areas of the ocean. On the other hand, it drains the climate and creates deserts.