Ocean current - Wikipedia
WEBOcean currents are measured in units of sverdrup (Sv), where 1 Sv is equivalent to a volume flow rate of 1,000,000 m 3 (35,000,000 cu ft) per second. There are two main types of currents, surface currents and deep water currents.
Ocean currents - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
WEBAug 1, 2011 · Ocean currents, abiotic features of the environment, are continuous and directed movements of ocean water. These currents are on the ocean’s surface and in its depths, flowing both locally and globally.
Ocean current | Distribution, Causes, & Types | Britannica
WEBAug 27, 2024 · ocean current, stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variation in different parts of the ocean.
Currents, Waves, and Tides | Smithsonian Ocean
WEBSurface ocean currents are driven by consistent wind patterns that persist throughout time over the entire globe, such as the jet stream. These wind patterns (convection cells) are created by radiation from the Sun beating down on Earth and generating heat.
Ocean Currents - National Geographic Society
WEBOct 19, 2023 · Some ocean currents flow at the surface; others flow deep within water. Some currents flow for short distances; others cross entire ocean basins and even circle the globe. By moving heat from the equator toward the poles, ocean currents play an important role in controlling the climate.
8.4: Ocean Currents - Geosciences LibreTexts
WEBCurrents on the surface are determined by three major factors: the major overall global wind patterns, the rotation of the Earth, and the shape of ocean basins. When you blow across a cup of hot chocolate, you create tiny ripples on its surface that continue to move after you’ve stopped blowing.
Ocean Currents - WorldAtlas
WEBMar 22, 2023 · Ocean Currents are defined as the continuous movement of water from one part of the ocean to another. Many forces, such as the prevailing winds, variation in temperature, salinity differences, Coriolis effect , breaking waves, and cabbeling, generate this directed movement of ocean water.
Ocean Currents - National Geographic Society
WEBOcean currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density. Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically.
Ocean Currents and Climate - National Geographic Society
WEBJan 2, 2024 · Prevailing winds, ocean-surface currents, and the associated mixing influence the physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the ocean, as well as global climate. Deep ocean currents are density -driven and differ from surface currents in scale, speed, and energy.
Ocean Currents: Motion in the Ocean | Smithsonian Ocean
WEBOcean currents are continuous movements of water in the ocean that follow set paths, kind of like rivers in the ocean. They can be at the water's surface or go to the deep sea; some are very large, like Japan's Kuroshio Current, which is equal in volume to 6,000 large rivers, while others are small and unnamed.
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