Currents- Horizontal Movement
- Surface ocean currentsare driven by global wind systems that are fueled by energy from the sun.
- These currents transfer heat from the tropics to the Polar Regions, influencing local and global climate.
- The warm Gulf Stream originating in the tropical Caribbean, for instance, carries about 150 times more water than the Amazon River.
- Deep Ocean currents are caused by differences in water density, resulting from the variability of water temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
- In cold regions, when sea water freezes, it leaves behind salt, increasing the density of the surrounding seawater. This sinks, making way for lighter, warmer water, thereby starting the ‘global conveyer belt’.
