Which one of the following is a cold ocean current ?

Ocean currents are classified as warm or cold based on their temperature relative to the surrounding water. The California Current is a major cold current in the North Pacific Ocean that flows southward along the west coast of North America. It originates from the North Pacific Drift and brings cooler water toward the equator. In contrast, the Brazilian Current is a warm current that flows southwards along the east coast of Brazil after the South Equatorial Current bifurcates [1]. The Gulf Stream is a powerful warm current in the North Atlantic that raises temperatures along the eastern coast of North America and Western Europe [3]. The North Equatorial Current is a warm current found in the low latitudes of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, driven by trade winds [2]. Therefore, only the California Current is a cold current among the given options.

Sources

1. [1] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: The Oceans > The Circulation of the Atlantic Ocean > p. 110
2. [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Brazil Current – Warm > p. 493
3. [2] FUNDAMENTALS OF PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, Geography Class XI (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 12: Water (Oceans) > Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution > p. 103