The Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream is one of the warmest, strongest and fastest ocean currents in the world. It starts in the Gulf of Mexico, flows around Florida and follows the East Coast of the United States into the Atlantic Ocean (check out the dark red color in the image below, representing the Gulf Stream’s warm temperatures).
In summer 2010, scientists predicted that oil from the big oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico could get caught in the Gulf Stream current and get carried around Florida to the shores of the East Coast. No one is sure exactly how far the oil will move.
Image courtesy of NOAA.
Learn fun facts about the ocean’s motion!
- Ocean motion happens at the surface and deep underwater. Surface currents are caused by wind blowing over the ocean. Deep ocean currents make up the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt, which sends cold water to the equator and warm water to the poles.
- The world’s oceans are full of hitchhikers! Small marine animals, such as fish larvae and jellyfish, cannot swim against the current, so they float along and get a free ride. Ocean currents also make migration easier for migratory animals such as sea turtles and whales.
- The Bay of Fundy in Canada has the greatest tidal range in the world. The vertical distance between low and high tide can be 50 feet — taller than a 3-story building! Ocean tides are caused by the pull of gravity on Earth by the moon.
Top image: The Great Ocean Conveyor Belt, courtesy of NASA. Second image: Jellyfish, courtesy of Kip Evans, NOAA. Third image: Tide diagram, courtesy of NASA.