La Gulf Stream It's the ocean current that moves the largest mass of water. It's the most important for Europeans, since thanks to it we can be assured of a warm climate, given our latitude. Furthermore, depending on where it passes, there will be slightly different flora and fauna, with more arthropods on the west coast of the Iberian Peninsula than in the north of the country, for example.
It is, therefore, a current that is very interesting to know, so let's get to it .
What is a Gulf?
Gulf Stella (Italy)
Before getting into the subject, it is important to know what a Gulf is. Well, it is nothing more than a large portion of water that enters the earth y Located between capes. They are often confused with bays, since the exact location of the border between these and gulfs is unknown, but bays are understood to be smaller in size. For more information on this topic, you can consult our article on what is a gulf.
In any case, this is a geographically important point, since it is there that ports and docks are built. You can also read about the importance of gulfs in navigation.
Where does the Gulf Stream pass?
This is an ocean current that originates as a consequence of the rotational movement of planet Earth, the configuration of the coasts and the terrestrial wind. It begins its journey in the Florida Straits and heads towards Europe., although the exact point where it ends has not yet been determined, since its completion is more or less at latitude 40ºN and 50ºW, where its warm and salty waters continue their way north in the North Atlantic current, and the Norway current, and south via the Canary Islands current.
In the North Atlantic, its waters reach Norway and Greenland, where they cool rapidly due to their proximity to the Pole. In doing so, they become denser due to their high salt content, so they sink due to the force of gravity. So, feed the thermohaline circulation which flows deeper and is essential to understanding the importance of ocean currents in the global climate.
What are their characteristics?
With an average width of 80 to 150km and a depth of between 800 and 1200m, its waters move at a maximum speed of 2 meters per second as it approaches shallower areas. The temperature also varies considerably along the boundaries due to contact with the cold waters of the North and the warm waters of the South. For example, in the Strait separating Florida from the Bahamas and Cuba, the surface temperature is a pleasant 25°C, while in Norway, in the Baltic Sea, it is around 9°C.
From its origin to the region of the Great Banks, this is a current that has a deep blue color and high salinity, but it loses it when it mixes with the North Atlantic current. Of course, its flow is impressive: in the vicinity of Ireland it is 150 million m3 / s, which makes it the most interesting ocean current in the world. To give you an idea, the flow carried by all the rivers that flow into the Atlantic totals 0.6*106 m3/s. If you'd like to learn more about this current, check out our article on mitigation of global warming by the Gulf Stream.
Once it reaches Europe, it divides into smaller streams with flow rates between 10 and 20 million cubic meters per second. This division contributes to the importance of the Gulf Stream in the European climate.
What are the Rings?
I hope you have learned more about the Gulf Stream .