Question map
Which one of the following ocean currents converges with the Gulf Stream ?
Explanation
The Gulf Stream is a powerful, warm western boundary current that flows along the eastern coast of the United States [t3][t6]. As it moves northward toward the Grand Banks off the coast of Newfoundland, it converges with the cold Labrador Current, which flows south-eastwards from the Arctic regions between West Greenland and Baffin Island [c1][c2]. This convergence of warm and cold water masses is significant for creating dense fog and rich fishing grounds in the North Atlantic [c4]. After this meeting, the combined waters flow eastward across the Atlantic as the North Atlantic Drift [c1]. In contrast, the Benguela and South Atlantic currents are part of the South Atlantic gyre [c3][c5], and the Kuroshio current is a western boundary current located in the North Pacific Ocean [t9].
Sources
- [1] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift – Warm > p. 492
- [2] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: The Oceans > The Circulation of the Atlantic Ocean > p. 110
- [3] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 33: Ocean temperature and salinity > Factors Affecting Temperature Distribution of Oceans > p. 512
- [4] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/gulf-stream
- [5] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/04currents3.html
- [6] Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: The Oceans > The Circulation of the Atlantic Ocean > p. 111
- [7] Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 32: Ocean Movements Ocean Currents And Tides > Benguela Current – Cold > p. 493