The warm current is the Gulf Stream, El Nino, Kuroshio. What other currents exist? Why are they called warm? Read more about this later.
Where do the currents come from?
Currents are directed flows of water masses. They can have different widths and depths - from several meters to hundreds of kilometers. Their speed can reach up to 9 km / h. The direction of water flows determines the strength of rotation of our planet. Thanks to her, in the southern hemisphere the currents deviate to the right, and in the northern hemisphere to the left.
The formation and nature of the currents is influenced by many conditions. The reason for their appearance may be the wind, the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun, different densities and temperatures, water levels of the oceans. Most often, several factors contribute to the formation of currents.
There is a neutral, cold and warm current in the ocean. They are determined as such not because of the temperature of their own water masses, but because of the difference with the temperature of the surrounding waters. This means that the current can be warm, even if its waters are considered cold in many respects. For example, the Gulf Stream is warm, although its temperature ranges from 4 to 6 degrees, and the temperature of the cold Bengal Current is up to 20 degrees.
A warm current is one that forms near the equator. They form in warm waters, and are sent to colder. In turn, cold currents move towards the equator. Neutral flows are those that do not differ in temperature from the surrounding waters.
Warm currents
Currents affect the climate of coastal areas. Warm water currents warm the ocean. They contribute to a mild climate, high humidity and high rainfall. On the banks near which warm waters flow, forests form. There are such warm currents of the oceans:
Pacific basin
- East Australian.
- Alaskan.
- Kuroshio.
- El nino.
Indian Ocean Basin
Atlantic Ocean Basin
- Irminger.
- Brazilian
- Guiana
- Gulf Stream.
- North Atlantic.
Arctic Ocean Basin
- West Svalbard.
- Norwegian
- West Greenland.
Gulfstream
The warm Atlantic current, one of the largest in the Northern Hemisphere, is the Gulf Stream. It begins in the Gulf of Mexico, along the Strait of Florida falls into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and moves in a northeast direction.
The course carries many floating algae and various fish. Its width reaches up to 90 kilometers, and the temperature is 4-6 degrees heat. The waters of the Gulf Stream have a bluish tint, contrasting with the surrounding greenish water of the ocean. It is not homogeneous, and consists of several streams that can be separated from the total flow.
Gulf Stream - a warm course. Encountered with the cold Labrador Current in the Newfoundland area, it contributes to the frequent formation of fogs on the coast. In the very center of the North Atlantic, the Gulf Stream flows separate, forming the Canary and North Atlantic currents.
El nino
The warm current is also El Nino - the most powerful current. It is not permanent and occurs every few years. Its appearance is accompanied by a sharp increase in water temperature in the surface layers of the ocean. But this is not the only sign of the El Niño course.
Other warm currents of the World Ocean can hardly be compared with the power of influence of this “baby” (the name of the current is translated). Together with the warm waters, the current brings with it barrage winds and hurricanes, fires, droughts, and long rains. Residents of coastal areas suffer damage caused by El Nino. Huge territories are being flooded, which leads to the death of crops and livestock.
The current is formed in the Pacific Ocean, in its equatorial part. It stretches along the coast of Peru and Chile, replacing the cold Humboldt Current. During the appearance of El Nino, fishermen also suffer. Its warm waters trap the cold (which are rich in plankton) and prevent them from rising to the surface. In this case, the fish does not sail to these territories to feed themselves, leaving the fishermen without a catch.
Kuroshio
In the Pacific Ocean, Kuroshio is another warm current. It flows near the eastern and southern shores of Japan. Often the course is defined as a continuation of the Northern Passat. The main reason for its formation is the difference in levels between the ocean and the East China Sea.
Flowing between the straits of the Ryukyu Island, Kuroshio becomes the North Pacific Current, which passes into Alaska off the coast of America.
It has similarities with the Gulf Stream. It forms a whole system of warm currents in the Pacific Ocean, like the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic. Thanks to this, Kuroshio is an important climate-forming factor, mitigating the climate of coastal areas. The current has a strong influence on the water area, being an important hydrobiological factor.
The waters of the Japanese current are characterized by a dark blue color, hence its name “Kuroshio” comes from, which translates as “black current” or “dark water”. Its width reaches 170 kilometers, and its depth is about 700 meters. Kuroshio's speed ranges from 1 to 6 km / h. The temperature of the water flow is 25 -28 degrees in the south and about 15 degrees in the north.
Conclusion
The formation of currents is influenced by many factors, and sometimes their combination. Warm is a current whose temperature exceeds the temperature of the surrounding waters. In this case, the water in the course can be quite cold. The most famous warm currents are the Gulf Stream, flowing in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Pacific Currents Kuroshio and El Nino. The latter occurs periodically, bringing with it a chain of environmental disasters.