Ocean current - Wikipedia
Ocean currents are measured in units of sverdrup (Sv), where 1 Sv is equivalent to a volume flow rate of 1,000,000 m 3 (35,000,000 cu ft) per second. There are two main types of currents, surface currents and deep water currents.
How Ocean Currents Work - HowStuffWorks
Invisible to us terrestrial creatures, an underwater current circles the globe with a force 16 times as strong as all the world's rivers combined [source: NOAA: "Ocean"]. This deep-water current is known as the global conveyor belt and is driven by density differences in the water.
Ocean currents - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
2011年8月1日 · Ocean currents, abiotic features of the environment, are continuous and directed movements of ocean water. These currents are on the ocean’s surface and in its depths, flowing both locally and globally.
Major ocean currents - The World Factbook
This field describes the major ocean currents, or the movement of water from one location to another. Currents are generally measured in meters per second or in knots (1 knot = 1.85 kilometers per hour or 1.15 miles per hour), and they affect the Earth's climate by driving warm water from the Equator and cold water from the poles.
What causes ocean currents? - NOAA Ocean Exploration
Ocean currents can be caused by wind, density differences in water masses caused by temperature and salinity variations, gravity, and events such as earthquakes or storms. Currents are cohesive streams of seawater that circulate through the ocean.
Ocean current | Distribution, Causes, & Types | Britannica
2024年8月27日 · Ocean current, stream made up of horizontal and vertical components of the circulation system of ocean waters that is produced by gravity, wind friction, and water density variation in different parts of the ocean.
Currents, Waves, and Tides | Smithsonian Ocean
The ocean is connected by a massive circulatory current deep underwater. This planetary current pattern, called the global conveyor belt , slowly moves water around the world—taking 1,000 years to make a complete circuit.
Ocean Currents: Motion in the Ocean | Smithsonian Ocean
When you look underwater, what is making the seagrass wave in the water? The answer is ocean currents. Ocean currents are continuous movements of water in the ocean that follow set paths, kind of like rivers in the ocean.
NASA SVS | OSCAR Ocean Currents with Velocity
2012年9月24日 · This visualization shows OSCAR (Ocean Surface Current Analysis Real-time) ocean currents colored by current velocities. OSCAR data (produced by Earth & Space Research and distributed through NOAA and PO.DAAC) is derived from observed satellite altimetry and wind vector data.
Global Ocean Currents Database | National Centers for …
2024年9月18日 · Global Ocean Currents Database. The Global Ocean Current Database (GOCD) integrates ocean current data from a wide variety of capture methods, resolutions, and formats into a single format (NetCDF) archive.