Na Currents

8/19/2019 Na Currents

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The North Atlantic

Capt. Francis T. Gauci


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The major flow of water in the Atlantic is in a

clockwise direction. This huge area of rotating

water is better known as the North Atlantic Gyre.

If you were to drop a bottle in the Gulf Stream off

the New Jersey coast it would probably

e!entually make its way across the Atlantic

toward Ireland or "ngland in # months or so. Ifyou were lucky the bottle may find its way down

the coast of Africa then head west just north of

the "$uator and turn northwest until it washed

back up onto the beaches of the eastern %nitedStates. This journey would take nearly three

years to complete.


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Figure 1

As seen in fig. & the main circulation of the NA currents is clockwise. The southern part of thiscirculation includes a fairly constant west going North "$uatorial 'urrent (see )ig. *+ south of

about latitude *,- N. )urther North the westerly flow gradually becomes more !ariable andceases to be recogniable north of about latitude ,/- N.


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Figure 2

The North Equatorial Current is the broad westward flow that isthe southern component of the N. Atlantic subtropical gyre. t is

fed by the Canary Current and its waters e!entually end up in the

"ulf #tream system$ either !ia the Antilles current or through the

Caribbean !ia the "uiana current.


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"astwards in the 'aribbean Sea the

North e$uatorial current is joined by the

South "$uatorial 'urrent of the south

Atlantic which flows past the North coast

of 0rail through the 1ucatan channel.

(see )ig. ,+ These combined currents willthen flow westwards through the

'aribbean and will emerge through the

)lorida Straits. It will then flow North alongthe "astern %S seaboard and will start

altering to an easterly course near 'ape

2atteras (*3-N /3/- 4+. (see )ig. 5+


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Figure %

The Caribbean Current transports significant amounts of water northwestward

through the Caribbean #ea and into the "ulf of &e'ico$ !ia the (ucatan Current. The

source water for the Caribbean Current is from the equatorial Atlantic )cean !ia the

North Equatorial$ North *ra+il$ and "uiana Currents. The counter,cloc-wise circulation

of the Columbia,anama "yre is e!ident off,shore of southern Central America

/Nicaragua$ Costa 0ica$ and anama and northern Colombia.


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The oop Current feeds the Florida Current that transports

significant amounts of heat pole ward3 / transports surface

waters of tropical origin into the "ulf of &e'ico3 and is fed by the

Caribbean current and the (ucatan Current.

Figure 4


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0etween 'ape 2atteras and the southern part of the

Grand 0anks of Newfoundland the strong current

mainly north6easterly current forming the western partof the main N. Atlantic circulation is known as the Gulf

Stream.

The gulf stream continues in this strength until about

/57- 4 longitude and up until this moment it will bewell defined due to it being warm and the relati!ely

colder 8abrador current meeting it from the North. At

/57- longitude the current will start fanning out north

towards Scandina!ia and Greenland while acontinuation of the current to the east will form

another circular current which will reach the %9 and

Irish coasts and part of which will flow again towards

the mid N. Atlantic ocean.


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The general flow of the current will then continue

south along the westerly "uropean coast mainly

along the )rench and Iberian coasts and while a

smaller current will flow into the :editerranean Sea.

4hen the southerly current reaches an appro;imate

position of &/- N it would ha!e started to gradually!eer towards the west and meet with the southern

Atlantic e$uatorial current part of which will continue

with the circulation towards the 'aribbean along the

southern coast of 'uba in a N4


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Na Currents

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