Effects Of Ocean Currents

• The oceanic circulation transports heat from one latitude belt to another in a manner similar to the heat transported by the general circulation of the atmosphere.
• Warm and Cold currents affect the local climate of a region. For example, the Gulf Stream which is driven to the western coast of Europe as the North Atlantic Drift keeps the coasts of North Sea warm which is unusual for such high latitudes.

• Warm ocean currents bring rains to the coastal regions and also the interiors while cold currents do not.
• Cold currents are one of the reasons why deserts are located in the western margins of continents in the sub-tropical belts. For e.g. the cold Benguela current is responsible for the Namib Desert along west coast of Africa.

• The mixing of warm and cold currents help to replenish the oxygen and favor the growth of planktons which is the regions are rich in microscopic marine plants and animals.
• Hence these regions form excellent fi shing grounds as phytoplankton is the primary source of food for the fi sh. For example, the Great Banks near Newfoundland is formed by the mixing of cold Labrador Current with the warm Gulf Stream.

• The atmospheric circulation of the winds and the oceanic circulation of the currents are almost coincidental and together they aid in the navigation of the ships.
• Ocean currents flow for great distances and together with the winds creates a conveyor belt kind of system for navigation of the ships.

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