{"id":2874,"date":"2024-09-17T05:37:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-17T05:37:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/?p=2874"},"modified":"2024-09-24T12:50:21","modified_gmt":"2024-09-24T12:50:21","slug":"movement-of-ocean-currents","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/","title":{"rendered":"Movement of\u00a0Ocean Currents: Types, Factors &amp; Prominent Terms"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>The steady, directional flow of seawater caused by wind, gravity, the Coriolis effect, and water density is known as an ocean current. The water in the ocean is ever-changing. The movement of ocean water is influenced by a number of variables, including temperature, salinity, density, and external forces like the sun, moon, and winds. This article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the <strong>movement of ocean currents<\/strong> and its types, factors and prominent terms.<\/em><\/p><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_56_1 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-transparent ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Ocean_Currents\" title=\"Ocean Currents\">Ocean Currents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Factors_Affecting_the_Movement_of_Ocean_Currents\" title=\"Factors Affecting the Movement of Ocean Currents\">Factors Affecting the Movement of Ocean Currents<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Planetary_Winds\" title=\"Planetary Winds\">Planetary Winds<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Temperature\" title=\"Temperature\">Temperature<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Salinity\" title=\"Salinity\">Salinity<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Coriolis_Force\" title=\"Coriolis Force\">Coriolis Force<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Coastal_Configuration\" title=\"Coastal Configuration\">Coastal Configuration<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Types_of_Ocean_Currents\" title=\"Types of Ocean Currents\">Types of Ocean Currents<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Some_Other_Prominent_Terms\" title=\"Some Other Prominent Terms\">Some Other Prominent Terms<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3'><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Gyre\" title=\"Gyre\">Gyre<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Drift\" title=\"Drift\">Drift<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Streams\" title=\"Streams\">Streams<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/movement-of-ocean-currents\/#Eddies\" title=\"Eddies\">Eddies<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-a1a48790fff030ddc801fb3ae35e5fb6\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Ocean_Currents\"><\/span><strong>Ocean Currents<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ocean currents<\/strong> are streams of water that flow within a <strong>larger body of water<\/strong>, whether on the surface or below it. These currents can be described as the general movement of a specific <strong>volume of ocean water<\/strong>, following a defined <strong>path <\/strong>and <strong>direction<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Similar to rivers flowing within land, <strong>ocean currents<\/strong> facilitate the exchange of cold deep waters with warmer surface waters. As a result, they play a vital role in <strong>redistributing heat from lower latitudes to higher latitudes<\/strong>, carrying nutrients from the depths of the ocean to the surface, and influencing the climate of coastal regions.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When the surface water of the oceans moves forward due to prevailing winds, it is <strong>referred to as drift<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>On the other hand, <strong>ocean currents<\/strong> involve the movement of oceanic water in a specific direction with greater speed. Ocean streams, such as the <strong>Gulf Stream<\/strong>, involve the movement of a larger mass of ocean water in a definite direction with <strong>higher velocity<\/strong> compared to <strong>drift<\/strong> and <strong>other currents<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Descending order of velocity: <strong>Streams &gt; Currents &gt; Drifts<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\">Read our detailed article on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/ocean-currents\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/ocean-currents\"><strong>Ocean Currents<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-b8a1b29995e5dabf368e7b84b2b66e38\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Factors_Affecting_the_Movement_of_Ocean_Currents\"><\/span><strong>Factors Affecting the Movement of Ocean Currents<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A current is usually strongest at the <strong>surface<\/strong> and <strong>decreases<\/strong> in speed with depth. The forces which influence the ocean currents are as follows:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-76916fb9ec031757ee2e8b979ef3e97d\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Planetary_Winds\"><\/span><strong>Planetary Winds<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The movement of water on the surface of the ocean is influenced by the wind blowing over it. The <strong>friction<\/strong> between the <strong>wind<\/strong> and the <strong>water&#8217;s surface<\/strong> impacts the <strong>direction<\/strong> and <strong>speed <\/strong>of the water&#8217;s movement.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is important to <strong>understand<\/strong> that the wind affects the momentum of the water, but it <strong>does not initiate<\/strong> the movement.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A <strong>notable example<\/strong> of the impact of prevailing winds on ocean currents can be observed in the North Indian Ocean.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In this region, the direction of the current completely changes when the monsoon winds reverse.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-99d0da3bf5104d79ed701f793d85de33\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Temperature\"><\/span><strong>Temperature<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The movement of ocean water, both on the surface and below it, is initiated by <strong>temperature differences<\/strong>. The temperature of the ocean water at the equator differs significantly from that at the poles.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The solar energy heats the water, causing it to expand. As a result, there is an <strong>8 cm gradient<\/strong> between the <strong>elevated equatorial water<\/strong> and <strong>the middle latitude<\/strong>. This gradient causes the water to flow downhill.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Due to its <strong>lower density<\/strong>, the warm water moves from areas of lower density to areas of higher density. On the other hand, the <strong>denser cold water sinks.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The <strong>warm equatorial water slowly moves towards the poles<\/strong> along the surface, while the colder polar water slowly creeps along the bottom towards the equator.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3e5ff1e7c9b9e509bbfb2561be4ae508\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Salinity\"><\/span><strong>Salinity<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Water with <strong>high salinity is denser than water with low salinity<\/strong>. Thus, denser saline water sinks below, while the relatively lighter water tends to rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9a4386d97198eed5684a316b64a4e810\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Coriolis_Force\"><\/span><strong>Coriolis Force<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The Coriolis Effect influences the movement of oceanic currents by providing them with direction.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>This effect occurs due to the <strong>Earth&#8217;s surface rotating faster at the equator compared to the poles.<\/strong> It affects the paths of various moving objects, such as currents, winds, and airplanes, that are only loosely connected to the ground.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Specifically, in the <strong>northern hemisphere<\/strong>, the Coriolis force causes the water to move to the right, while in the <strong>southern hemisphere<\/strong>, it causes the water to move to the left.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3652771bce0e83add16c3b683f82e05f\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Coastal_Configuration\"><\/span><strong>Coastal Configuration<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The coastal alignment and presence of underwater ridges play a role in determining the direction of <strong>ocean currents<\/strong>. The shape of the land also influences the flow of these currents. For example, the equatorial current is divided into two branches after encountering the Brazilian coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-8108378c311509b7cb0f15c183d66005\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_Ocean_Currents\"><\/span><strong>Types of Ocean Currents<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>On the Basis of Depth<\/strong><\/td><td>&#8211; Surface currents make up <strong>approximately 10%<\/strong> of the total volume of water in the ocean, specifically referring to the upper 400 meters.&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; On the other hand, deep water currents account for the remaining 90%.&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; These currents circulate throughout the ocean basin as a result of density and gravity fluctuations.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>On the Basis of Temperature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Cold Current:<\/strong>&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; Ocean currents play a significant role in distributing cold water to warmer areas. They move from the <strong>polar regions towards the equator<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; Typically, these currents are observed along the west coast of continents in the low and middle latitudes, regardless of the hemisphere.&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; In the <strong>northern hemisphere<\/strong>, however, they are more commonly found along the east coast in higher latitudes.<br><br><strong>Warm Current<\/strong>:<br><br>&#8211; Warm water is moved to colder areas by <strong>ocean currents<\/strong>. These currents move from the <strong>equatorial regions towards the poles<\/strong>.&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; These particular currents are located on the <strong>eastern coasts of continents<\/strong> in the low and middle latitudes, which is true for both hemispheres.&nbsp;<br><br>&#8211; In the <strong>northern hemisphere<\/strong>, these currents can also be found along the western coasts of continents in higher latitudes.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/lh7-us.googleusercontent.com\/DHxpW_-YJZb9J-v5_mBdHuhX0AAqc0-fo3qIxl9qT8jLP0-Cyj0OMnU4tgNZ6t2LcsGmTZWjf-h4JvoKlI3l-O_Brl1hX3M9RzO0G22x8QJO2rxbvWO45PgSNZv3SNHeQmbOQRifThxl46gQWa3JWA\" alt=\"ocean currents\" style=\"width:673px;height:auto\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-022b02a311c23c77e918b8f45e2411f3\" style=\"color:#015aa7\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Some_Other_Prominent_Terms\"><\/span><strong>Some Other Prominent Terms<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-0c2445af0726c76975c0b220c3e2ef93\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gyre\"><\/span><strong>Gyre<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A Gyre is a term used to <strong>describe a vast system of rotating ocean currents<\/strong>, particularly those <strong>influenced by large wind movements<\/strong>. These currents are generated by the Coriolis force.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-d1adfde6f0f66bd9bb0cfe1454277dff\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Drift\"><\/span><strong>Drift<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>When <strong>ocean water is propelled forward by prevailing winds<\/strong>, it is referred to as <strong>Drift<\/strong>. The term <strong>&#8220;drift&#8221;<\/strong> is also used to measure the speed of an ocean current, which is typically measured in knots.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Example<\/strong> &#8211; The <strong>North Atlantic Drift<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-06f80b38e956552078bd482896fe5f8c\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Streams\"><\/span><strong>Streams<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>On the other hand, when a <strong>substantial body of ocean water moves<\/strong> along a defined path, resembling a large river on land, it is known as a <strong>Stream<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Streams tend to have a higher velocity compared to drifts.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Example<\/strong> &#8211; The Gulf Stream.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-72f04a344838313cb3c3286b7f95cebc\" style=\"color:#ff6a00\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Eddies\"><\/span><strong>Eddies<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ocean eddies<\/strong> are <strong>swirling, rotating masses of water<\/strong> that can occur within ocean currents. They can have a notable impact on local <strong>oceanic<\/strong> and <strong>atmospheric conditions<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The motion of ocean water plays a crucial role in Earth&#8217;s climate system and has wide-ranging effects on <strong>weather patterns, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/aquatic-ecosystem\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/aquatic-ecosystem\/\">marine ecosystems<\/a><\/strong>, and <strong>global climate regulation<\/strong>. Ongoing research by scientists aims to gain a deeper understanding of these processes and their influence on our planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The ocean water is constantly changing. Various factors, such as temperature, salinity, density, and external forces like the Sun.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":3040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,833],"tags":[73],"class_list":["post-2874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-geography","category-world-geography","tag-gs-1"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2874"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11769,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2874\/revisions\/11769"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2874"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2874"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}