NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN CURRENTS WHAT ARE CURRENTS? WHY CURRENTS ARE IMPORTANT? TYPES OF CURRENTS? GULF STREAM CURRENT NORWEGIAN CURRENT LABRADOR CURRENT NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT CANARY CURRENTS MAPS INCLUDED LOCATION OF CURRENTS NATURE OF CURRENTS

1. NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN CURRENTS
OCEAN CURRENTS

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES
• What are currents?
• How many types of currents?
• North Atlantic Ocean Currents.
• Why are currents important?

3. WHAT ARE CURRENTS?
• Oceanic currents describe the movement of water from one location to another.
• Streams of water flowing constantly on the ocean surface in definite directions
OR
• Ocean water moves in two directions: horizontally and vertically. Horizontal
movements are referred to as currents.
• Currents are the continuous, predictable, directional movement of seawater driven by
gravity, wind (Coriolis Effect), and water density.

4. HOW MANY TYPES OF CURRENTS?
 There are 2 types of currents on the basis of temperature:
• Warm Ocean Currents: The warm ocean currents originate near the
equator and moves towards the pole.
• Cold Ocean Currents: The cold currents carry
water from polar or higher latitudes to tropical or lower
latitudes.

5.  There are 2 types of currents on the basis of depth:
HOW MANY TYPES OF CURRENTS?
• Surface Currents: Constitute about 10 % of all the water in
the ocean, these waters are the upper 400 m of the ocean .
Surface currents in the ocean are driven by global wind systems
that are fueled by energy from the Sun.
• Deep water currents: Make up the 90%
of the ocean water. These water move around the
ocean basin due to variations in density and gravity.

6. WHY ARE CURRENTS IMPORTANT?
o By moving heat from the equator toward the poles, ocean currents play an
important role in controlling the climate.
o Ocean currents are also critically important to sea life.
o They carry nutrients and food to organisms that live permanently attached in
one place.
o They carry reproductive cells and ocean life to new places.

7. NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN CURRENTS
• Atlantic Ocean is the 2nd largest ocean in the world.
• It is one of the busiest sea routes in the western and eastern hemisphere.
• The Atlantic Ocean is the world’s saltiest ocean.
• There are 5 main currents of North Atlantic Currents:
o Gulf Stream Current
o Labrador Current
o Norwegian Current
o North Atlantic Drift Current
o Canary Current

8. https://www.pmfias.com/atlantic-ocean-currents-sargasso-sea-gulf-stream-north-atlantic-drift-benguela-current/

9.  Location of the Current: It extends all the way up the eastern coast of the United States and Canada.
 Type of Current: The Gulf Stream Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean.
 Effect of Current on Climate: This strong current of warm water influences the climate of the east coast of
Florida, keeping temperatures there warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer than the other southeastern states.
Since the Gulf Stream also extends toward Europe, it warms western European countries as well.
GULF STREAM CURRENT

10.  Location of the Current: Labrador Current flows from the Arctic Ocean south along the coast of Labrador and passes around
Newfoundland, continuing south along the east coast of Canada near Nova Scotia.
 Type of Current: The Labrador Current is a cold current in the North Atlantic Ocean.
 Effect of Current on Climate: The waters of the current have a cooling effect on the Canadian Atlantic provinces, and on the
United States' upper northeast coast from Maine south to Massachusetts.
LABRADOR CURRENT

11. NORWEGIAN CURRENT
 Location of the Current: Norwegian Current enters the Norwegian Sea north of Scotland and flows northeastward along the
coast of Norway before flowing into the Barents Sea.
 Type of Current: The waters of the Norwegian Current are relatively warm and saline.
 Effect of Current on Climate: The heat released from the Norwegian Current into the atmosphere maintains a moderate
climate in northern Europe.

12.  Location of the Current: Extends from southeast of the Grand Bank, off Newfoundland, Canada, to the Norwegian Sea, off
northwestern Europe.
 Type of Current: The North Atlantic Current is a warm current in the North Atlantic Ocean.
 Effect of Current on Climate: The relatively warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift are responsible for moderating the
climate of western Europe.
NORTH ATLANTIC DRIFT

13. CANARY CURRENT
 Location of the Current: The Canary Current flows along the African coast from north to south between 30°N and 10°N and offshore to
20°W.
 Type of Current: The Canary Current is cold ocean current.
 Effect of Current on Climate: It helps to lessen the heating effect of the Sahara to the east.
CANARY CURRENT
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