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How do oceans affect climate
Ocean circulation
Western boundary currents
Along the western edges of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, there are narrow, fast currents that transport enormous amounts of warm water northward. These "western boundary currents" are present due to
Examples of western boundary currents are the Gulf Stream (Atlantic Ocean) and
the Kuroshio Current (Pacific Ocean). The strongest velocities in these
currents occur where the water is warmest. In the case of the Gulf Stream,
water is moving along at a speedy 2 m/s near Cape Hatteras, NC (about 6.5 feet
per second).
You can learn more about the Gulf Stream from this University of Miami website.
The western boundary currents are important to the Earth's climate because they transport enormous amounts of heat from the Tropics toward the Poles. You can get an image of the latest sea surface temperatures from the Space Science and Engineering Center website at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Next page -> ocean circulation, continued
Links and resources
Ocean circulation
Western boundary currents
Along the western edges of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, there are narrow, fast currents that transport enormous amounts of warm water northward. These "western boundary currents" are present due to
- surface winds
- Earth's rotation
- the fact that the coriolis force increases as the water moves from the Equator poleward
Examples of western boundary currents are the Gulf Stream (Atlantic Ocean) and
the Kuroshio Current (Pacific Ocean). The strongest velocities in these
currents occur where the water is warmest. In the case of the Gulf Stream,
water is moving along at a speedy 2 m/s near Cape Hatteras, NC (about 6.5 feet
per second).You can learn more about the Gulf Stream from this University of Miami website.
The western boundary currents are important to the Earth's climate because they transport enormous amounts of heat from the Tropics toward the Poles. You can get an image of the latest sea surface temperatures from the Space Science and Engineering Center website at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Next page -> ocean circulation, continued
Links and resources
