Ocean Currents

ocean · water movement · planet science

Currents move water far. Ocean currents are continuous flows of seawater that can stretch across entire oceans, like underwater highways for water itself.

Wind pushes the water. Wind is one of the main forces that creates ocean currents, along with differences in temperature and how salty the water is.

They go up and down. Ocean currents don't just move sideways, they also flow up and down vertically, bringing nutrients from the deep sea to the surface where sea creatures can use them.

Earth's spin matters. Something called the Coriolis effect, caused by Earth's rotation, changes which direction currents flow around the globe.

Currents share heat and gases. Ocean currents distribute warm water from the tropics toward colder areas, and they help move important gases like carbon dioxide between the surface and the deep ocean.