www.travel-university.org

Ocean Currents (continued from previous page)

The Currents in the Pacific Ocean. The ocean currents in the Pacific Ocean have a pattern similar to that in the Atlantic. It flows along 5 degrees N and is far more distinct than in the Atlantic Ocean. It is probably because the Pacific Ocean is very broad as compared to Atlantic Ocean, which is very narrow in these latitudes. Due to vast water masses, the counter current has become very stable.

On the western coast of the Pacific (Asia) there is a warm stream called Kuro Shio, which is the counterpart of the Gulf Stream of the Atlantic. It is divided into branches as it nears Japan. One branch called Tsushima Current enters Japan Sea and flows towards north-east as North Pacific Drift. The drift is divided into two branches as it nears North America. One branch California Current flows along the American coast towards the south and begins to flow towards west by merging with North Equatorial current. Another branch enters the Gulf of Alaska and flows along the Alaskan coast. As a result the Alaskan coast does not freeze even in the winter.

These currents flow from south to north. To take the place of the water carried to north, cold current flows from north towards south. One of them is Aleutian Current, which flows towards the west along the Alaskan coast. This current is a part of the North Atlantic Drift. It gets cold water on account of the melting of snow in the north. It then flows, towards south in Asia and is known as Kamchatka Current. One of its branches turns towards north and joins North Pacific Drift. Due to the meeting of warm and cold current along Japan, a very dense fog occurs and is similar to that along Newfoundland in the Atlantic.

Another branch of Kamchatka current combines with Okhotsk current and flows south of Sakhalin. It is known as Oyashio Current near Hokkaido. Further, this cold current subsides before the North Pacific Drift as happens to the Labrador current in the Atlantic.

There is an important current in South Atlantic Ocean. It is known as East Australian Current. It washes the coast of Guinea and flows along eastern Australia. It meet the South Pacific current as it reaches 40 degrees S. The South Pacific current (cold) flows from west to east. One of its branches near South American coast flows towards north and is known as Humbold Current or Peru Current, which is a cold current. It meets the South Equatorial Current in the north. In this way the flow-circle of currents in South Pacific Ocean is completed in anti clock-wise direction.

The Current of Indian Ocean. The effect of prevailing winds is most distinct in Indian Ocean. In the north of Equator, the directions of prevailing winds in summer and winter are opposite to each other. Hence the directions of ocean currents are also changed. As against this the circulatory cycle of ocean currents south of the Equator remains unchanged during the course of the year.

The Ocean Currents of South Indian Ocean. The circulatory cycle as in other southern ocean is anti-clockwise. South Equatorial current flows from east to west and it receives a part of the South Equatorial current of the Pacific Ocean, which emerging out of the Indonesian Group of Islands enters Indian Ocean.

In the west, the South Equatorial Current has two branches. One branch passes through Africa and Madagascar. It is called Mozambique current. Another branch flows east of Madagascar parallel to the Mozambique current. It is called Madagascar Current. These two branches meet each other south of Madagascar and form Agulhas Current. It later meets The South Pacific Current, which flows from west to east. A branch of it flows along the western coast of Australia from south to north and meets the south Equatorial Current. The current along western Australia is known as West Australian Current.

There is a difference in the directions of currents in the south Indian Ocean in the two seasons. Only the current areas in the summer of northern hemisphere shift towards north and in the winter towards south. In winter West Australian current gets water from the current flowing along south Australia but it is not so in summer.

The direction of Monsoon winds in winter is just the reverse of that in summer. It is north-east in winter. Hence the ocean current starting from the Strait of Malacca flows along the coast in the Bay of Bengal. After crossing Sri Lanka it flows along the coast of western India from south to north. It takes a round in Gulf of Aden in the west and begins to flow towards south where its direction is from west to east; hence, it called Indian Counter Current.

Next: Ocean deposit types