Ocean Currents

• largely generated by wind- gyres
• account for about 40% of global heat transport
• water moves at 20-45 degree angle to wind dir due to coriolis force
• move slower than winds - several km/day - km/hr

Major Ocean Currents:

1- gulf stream - check out the current position of the gulf stream:

3- laborador current

7- north equatorial current

8- north equatorial. counter current

9- south equatorial current

10- south equatorial counter current

11- equatorial counter current

12- kuroshio current

14- Alaska current

16- California current

Check out this animation of the annual SST temperature variations