Top 10 largest currents in the world

Swimming far from the shore in open water is dangerous – this is a well-known fact. The treacherous sea current can pick up an inexperienced swimmer and carry it out to sea, and its strength is such that it is almost impossible to cope with it. But what are coastal currents compared to large ones that affect the climate and weather conditions of vast areas?

The current is the surface or underwater movement of water in the thickness of the oceans. There are periodic and permanent, warm and cold, as well as various types, depending on the causes that cause them. The average speed of the currents is 5 km/h, but there are much faster water movements.

Are you curious to know what are the largest currents in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres? Introducing the top 10 fast cold and warm underwater streams of the planet.

10 South trade wind (Atlantic Ocean), 20-65 km/day

South trade wind It got its name from the type of winds that cause it – the trade winds blowing from east to west. It is quite warm, the average temperature is 32 degrees.

Being a continuation of the Benguela Current, which dominates off the coast of Africa, the South Trade Wind is divided into two branches, one of which rushes to the Antarctic, merging into the Brazilian Current, and the second becomes part of the Guiana Current.

9. South trade wind (Indian Ocean), 60 km/day

Warm South trade winds in the Indian Ocean also caused by the trade winds, also carries its waters from east to west, from Australia to the shores of Africa. Its average speed is 60 km per day.

The South Passat Current also forks in the Indian Ocean. One branch washes Madagascar from the east and is called, predictably, the Madagascar current. The second, Mozambique, carries water between the island and the coast of Africa. The average temperature is 25-26 degrees.

8. Somali, 75 km/day

Somali Current located in the Indian Ocean. It got its name in honor of the island of Somalia, past which it carries its waters.

The current is not constant, as it is caused by monsoon winds, and changes its direction during the year. In summer, under the influence of monsoons, it flows to the northeast, the waters constantly rise from the depth, sometimes lowering the temperature to 13 degrees, but on average it stays at around 21-25 degrees. In winter, the wind changes direction, interrupts the current and turns it to the southwest.

Water practically does not rise from the lower layers, and the temperature fluctuates around the mark of 26 degrees. The average water speed is 1,8 km/h.

7. East Australian, 50-90 km/day

East Australian Current is an offshoot of the South Trade Wind in the Pacific Ocean. It departs to the islands of Oceania and lies between the coasts of Australia and New Zealand.

Thanks to its warm waters, the climate on the territory of these states becomes tropical, warmer and more humid. Its speed varies from 50 km/day to 90 km/day in shallower waters off the Australian coastline.

Children are familiar with this trend thanks to the cartoon “Finding Nemo”. It is its marine inhabitants that are used as a high-speed highway for fast movement in the water column.

6. Agulhas, 60-90 km/day

The course of Cape Agulhas – one of the most stable in the world’s oceans. It carries its waters along the eastern coast of Africa and goes around Cape Agulhas. Other name – Agulyas, from Portuguese Cape of Needles. It owes its name either to the sharp rocks, among which many Portuguese ships died, or to the fact that on the cape the compass needle points straight north without deviation.

The needle current is fast and narrow, its speed reaches 90 km / day, and it carries its waters from the Indian Ocean, subsequently mixing with the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean, forming the Cross Current. This is one of the main currents that moves huge volumes of water, about 70 Sv.

5. Mozambique, 70-90 km/day

The Mozambique Channel, which separates the east coast of Africa and the west side of Madagascar, is considered the longest in the world. It is here that Mozambique current, whose speed is from 70 to 90 km per day.

It is a branch of the South Equatorial Current in the Indian Ocean. Passing through the Mozambique Channel, this current of the same name rushes to the south, where it becomes part of the Needle, which we wrote about above. It is constant, and the water temperature here reaches 25 degrees.

4. Florida, 130 km/day

As the name implies, this current is named after Florida, the southern state of the USA, past which it carries its waters. It is a continuation of the Caribbean current, flows between Cuba and the United States, along the east coast of Florida, and then turns to the northeast, merges with the Antilles current, becoming the Gulf Stream.

Florida a really large current, it carries 3,7 * 10 ^ 7 m³ of water per second at a really impressive speed of 130 km per day. And this is neither more nor less – 1,5 m / s!

3. Kuroshio, 20-144 km/day

Kuroshio is a warm current in the Pacific Ocean that flows along the coast of Japan. In Japanese, this name means “dark” or “black” flow. It carries warm waters along the southern and eastern coasts of the country, significantly softening the climate of the islands.

The main volume of water does not enter the Sea of ​​Japan, but several branches enter through the Tsushima Strait. The rest goes north, to the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, flowing into the Soy.

The temperature and speed of Kuroshio is different in different parts of it. In the north, this is about 2 km/h, while in the south, the speed of water movement can exceed 6 km/h. The water temperature in winter is 12-18 degrees, in summer it reaches 28 degrees in southern latitudes.

2. Gulf Stream, 72-144 km/day

If we talk about the largest currents, the first thing that comes to mind is Gulf Stream, a real star among the currents. It carries its waters in the Atlantic Ocean from the Florida current to Newfoundland, having a huge impact on the climate of many areas.

In a broad sense, the Gulf Stream means a whole set of warm currents up to the Scandinavian Peninsula itself.

The Yucatan current, escaping from the Caribbean Sea, forms a current of the same name off the coast of Florida, which joins with the Antilles in a stormy stream, forming the Gulf Stream. It carries warm waters in a narrow strip along the coast of America, then turns into the open ocean.

The collision with the cold Labrador Current diverts the Gulf Stream even more towards Europe. Despite the fact that it loses more heat before reaching Eurasia, due to evaporation, cooling and numerous branches, the temperature of its waters is still high enough to create an unusually mild climate for its latitudes in Europe.

The Gulf Stream, on the other hand, rushes further, passing into other currents, and its traces can be observed even in the Arctic Ocean.

1. Southern trade wind (Pacific Ocean), 40-185 km/day

But the largest current in the world’s oceans – Young trade wind. We have already encountered it a couple of times, mentioning the waters of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. The widest and fastest current is in the pacific. It starts off the coast of South America and rushes west to Australia and New Zealand.

Part of the water goes down to the east, flowing into the Equatorial Countercurrent, part tends to the shores of New Guinea, becoming part of the East Australian Current, which largely determines the mild tropical climate of those territories. The speed of water can reach 185 km per day, and its temperature is 32 degrees.