Ocean current
continuous flow of ocean water
An ocean current is a continuous movement of ocean water from one place to another. Ocean currents are created by wind, water temperature, salt content, and the gravity of the moon. The current's direction and speed depend on the shoreline and the ocean floor. They can flow for thousands of miles and are found in all the major oceans of the world. One major example of an ocean current is the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic Ocean. Ocean currents can be found on the water surface and deeper down.
- Currents on the surface often depend on wind. They travel clockwise in the northern hemisphere. They travel counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere. They are found up to 400 metres (1,300 ft) below the surface of the ocean.
- Deeper currents depend on water pressure, temperature, and salt content.
Major ocean currents of the world
changeArctic Ocean
change- East Greenland Current
- Norwegian Current
- Beaufort Gyre (water or ice flow)
- Transpolar Drift (water or ice flow)
- Agulhas Current
- Angola Current
- Antilles Current
- Azores Current
- Baffin Island Current
- Benguela current
- Brazil Current
- Canary Current
- Cape Horn Current
- Caribbean Current
- East Greenland Current
- East Iceland Current
- Falkland Current
- Florida Current
- Guiana Current
- Guinea Current
- Gulf Stream
- Irminger Current
- Labrador Current
- Lomonosov current (a deep current)
- Loop Current
- North Atlantic Current
- North Atlantic Drift
- North Brazil Current
- North Equatorial Current
- North Equatorial Counter Current
- Norwegian Current
- Portugal Current
- Slope/Shelf Edge Current
- Slope Jet Current
- South Atlantic Current
- South Equatorial Current
- Spitsbergen Current
- Subtropical Counter Current
- West Greenland Current
- West Wind Drift
Pacific Ocean
change- Alaska Current
- Aleutian Current
- California Current
- Cromwell current (a deep current)
- East Australian Current
- Equatorial Counter Current
- Humboldt Current (or Peru Current)
- Kamchatka Current
- Kuroshio Current (or Japan Current, Kuro Siwo)
- Mindanao Current
- North Equatorial Current
- North Pacific Current (or North Pacific Drift)
- Oyashio Current (or Oya Siwo)
- South Equatorial Current
- West Wind Drift
Indian Ocean
change- Agulhas Current
- East Madagascar Current
- Equatorial Counter Current
- Indonesian Through-flow
- Leeuwin Current
- Madagascar Current
- Mozambique Current
- Somali Current
- South Australian Counter Current
- South Equatorial Current
- Southwest and Northeast Monsoon Drift (or Indian Monsoon Current)
- West Australian Current
- West Wind Drift
Southern Ocean
changeNotes
change- ↑ "Surface Currents in the Atlantic Ocean". Archived from the original on 2008-12-07. Retrieved 2009-03-28.