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Causes of the Origin of Ocean Currents (continued from previous page)

The Ocean Currents of the Atlantic Ocean. The Atlantic Ocean is distinctly divided into northern and southern parts. The patterns in both the parts resemble each other to a great extent but the shape of the coasts has introduced changes in the patterns of currents.

The trade winds have given rise to North Equatorial Current in the Northern Atlantic and South Equatorial Currents in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Both these currents carry ocean water towards west. This creates an excessive accumulation of water in the west. In order to prevent the accumulation of ocean water in the west, a current is originated in between them and flows towards east. It takes excess water towards east. This current is known as Counter Equatorial Current. It is better experienced in July than in January.

The South Equatorial Current strikes at Cape San Roque and is divided into two branches:

(i) A branch flows along South America towards northwest and enters the Caribbean Sea.

(ii) Another branch flows along the Brazil Coast towards south and is known as the Brazil Current.

The branches of the North as well as those of south Atlantic currents meet in the Gulf of Mexico. The ocean water emerges out of the Florida Strait and travels up to Cape Hatteras. It is known as the Gulf Stream. It is a warm current and has blue colour. It flows with a speed ranging from 6 to 8 km per hour. Its width in the beginning is 50 km but later it narrows down on account of branching. Its width again increases in the open and middle part of the North Atlantic Ocean but its depth decreases.

One of its branches enters Davis Strait situated between Baffinland and Greenland. Another branch reaches the southern coast of the Iceland. The main Gulf Stream travels towards Europe. It is known as the Northern Atlantic Drift. It flows towards the middle of the west European coast and washes the British Islands. Further, it flows along the coasts of Scandinavia. It is known as the Norwegian Current. Another branch of the Gulf Stream flows along the coasts of Spain and Azores Islands and turns towards south when it flows along the western coast of Africa as Canaries Current. It is a cold current and it causes up welling of ocean water at the African coast. The Canaries Current meets the North Equatorial Current to the west of Africa. In this way the cycle of currents is completed in the North Atlantic Ocean. Within this current cycle there lies an area of quiet water called Sargasso Sea. The name of this sea is derived from a Portuguese word Sargassum meaning sea weeds.

The water carried by the current flows towards North in the North Atlantic Ocean. To take the place of this water, cold water of the Arctic flows towards the south. A current, which flows towards south in the Davis Strait, is called Labrador Current. Another cold current flows towards south along the west of Greenland. It is known as the East Green-land Current. This cold current and the warm Gulf Stream meet near Newfoundland. It causes a great fog here. The cold current which meets the Gulf Stream is also known as Cold Wall A third cold current flows along the eastern and southern coasts of Iceland. It is known as Irminger Current and is lost in the circular whirl of the North Atlantic Ocean.

Brazil current flows towards east in the south merging with the Southern Atlantic Drift. In the east near the African coast, it is branched off into two. One branch flows towards the north along the western African coast and is called Benguella Current. It meets the South Equatorial current. An-other branch along with South Atlantic Drift flows south of Africa and enters Indian Ocean.

In the far south, Falkland Current flows from the south to north along the Patagonia (S. America) but later disappears in the water.

There is an important thing to note about the currents in the northern and southern Atlantic oceans. The currents describe their courses in a circle in clockwise direction while those in the South Atlantic Ocean move in anti clockwise direction.

Next: Currents 4