List of Ocean Currents of the World

The term ocean currents are used to define the movement of the sea or ocean waters. The movement that is categorized as an ocean current is the directional movement of the water that is continuous, and predictable in nature. The main factors that cause the ocean currents of the world are gravity, wind and water density. The ocean currents are also influenced by the depth of the contours, shoreline configurations, and synergies with other oceanic currents. It is important to understand that ocean water moves in two different ways, one is the horizontal movement of the water and the second is the vertical movement of the water.

The horizontal movement in the ocean water is known as the ocean currents, while the vertical motion in the oceanic water is known as the upwellings or downwellings. The balance between horizontal movement and vertical movement is responsible for maintaining the abiotic system of the ocean which is in turn responsible for the transfer of heat, variations in biodiversity. These are also the primary sources that control the earth’s climate system.

Types of Ocean Currents

As we have understood the meaning and the reason for the formation of ocean currents we can now understand what are the different types of ocean currents. There are two different types of ocean currents they are, warm ocean currents and cold ocean currents. 

The warm ocean current is defined as the movement of water away from the equator, that is the water moves towards the polar regions of the earth. The water in these currents is warmer than the surrounding waters. An example of a warm current is North Equatorial Current.

The cold ocean current is defined as the movement of water towards the equator. In these currents water moves from the polar regions towards the equator, the water of these currents is generally cooler than the surrounding water. An example of cold current is Humboldt or Peruvian Current.

It is important to note that it is the coordination of the warm and cold ocean currents that regulate the climate of the earth. 

The List of Ocean Currents of the World: Based on the Nature of the Ocean Current.

Since oceans are the largest water bodies on the earth and are considered as the lifeline of the Earth. The major reason behind this is that they produce almost half of the oxygen of the earth which is required for sustaining life while the oceans also absorb fifty times of the carbon dioxide absorbed by the atmosphere. It is evident that the climate system of the planet is controlled and regulated by the oceans and humankind because it plays an important role in the Earth's climate and global warming. Mentioned below is the list of the ocean currents along with their nature. 

While studying the different types of ocean current in the world it is important to note that there is a right deflection in the ocean currents of the northern hemisphere, while the ocean currents of the southern hemisphere deflect towards the left. This deflection pattern is the result of Coriolis force. The only exception to this deflection pattern is found in the Indian Ocean. The direction of ocean currents of Indian currents changes according to the direction of monsoon wind flow. Another important point to note is that there is fewer cold ocean compared to the warm ocean currents.

Effect of Ocean Current on Ecology

It is evident that the ocean currents irrespective of their nature helps in controlling the climate. As the warm currents flow towards the polar regions it helps in raising the temperature of the nearby areas also the cold current coming from polar regions helps in lowering the temperature at temperate regions. 

Apart from controlling the climate the ocean currents also help in maintaining the ecology of the marine ecosystem, the cold ocean water currents flowing from polar and sub-polar regions flows with a large concentration of plankton. These planktons are crucial for the survival of many marine faunas, some of these creatures are the key organism that helps in maintaining the natural ecosystem. Another important point is that these planktons also serve as a food source for various animals like fish thus contributes to maintaining the population of plankton-eating fish in the marine ecosystem. Ocean currents also play important role in the dispersal of the many marine life forms, one such example can be seen in the life-cycle of the European Eel.

In conclusion, ocean currents are defined as the movement of sea or ocean waters, these movements of water not only controls the climate of the earth but also helps in maintaining the marine ecosystem, there are two types of ocean currents, this classification is based on temperature. The two different types of ocean currents are warm and cold ocean currents.