North Atlantic Current facts for kids
The North Atlantic Current (often called the NAC) is a very strong, warm ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean. It's also known as the North Atlantic Drift or North Atlantic Sea Movement. Think of it as a giant river of warm water flowing through the ocean! It's actually an extension of the famous Gulf Stream, carrying its warm waters even further northeast.
This powerful current starts where the Gulf Stream turns north, near a underwater ridge called the Southeast Newfoundland Rise. The NAC then flows north, east of the Grand Banks, from about 40°N to 51°N. After that, it makes a sharp turn to the east, crossing the entire Atlantic Ocean.
The North Atlantic Current is special because it carries more warm, tropical water to northern areas than any other similar current. It moves a huge amount of water – like 40 million cubic meters per second in the south, and 20 million cubic meters per second as it crosses the Mid-Atlantic Ridge! Near the North American coast, it can flow quite fast, reaching speeds of about 2 knots (which is around 3.7 kilometers per hour or 2.3 miles per hour).
The path of the NAC is shaped by the ocean floor, causing it to curve and wander. However, unlike the Gulf Stream, these curves usually stay stable and don't break off into smaller swirling currents called eddies.
How the Current Flows
The colder parts of the Gulf Stream turn north near the "tail" of the Grand Banks. From there, the NAC flows northeast, passing east of a place called the Flemish Cap. As it gets closer to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (a large underwater mountain range), it turns eastward and spreads out, becoming much wider.
Then, it splits into two main parts:
- A colder branch that goes northeast.
- A warmer branch that goes east.
As the warmer branch turns south, most of the warm, tropical water from the Gulf Stream is sent southward. This means that the North Atlantic is mostly filled with cooler, subpolar waters. Some of these waters even come from the Labrador Current, which mixes back into the NAC around 45°N.
When the North Atlantic Current reaches the coast of Continental Europe, it splits again into two major paths:
- One path goes southeast, eventually becoming the Canary Current as it flows past northwest Africa and turns southwest.
- The other main path continues north along the coast of Northwestern Europe.
Other smaller branches of the NAC include the Irminger Current and the Norwegian Current. The North Atlantic Current is part of a huge global system of ocean currents, driven by both winds and the thermohaline circulation (which is about how water moves based on its temperature and saltiness). It helps carry the wind-driven Gulf Stream even further east and north, all the way across the Atlantic and into the Arctic Ocean.
Impact on Climate
For a long time, people believed that the North Atlantic Current, along with the Gulf Stream, had a huge warming effect on the climate of Europe. It's true that these currents do bring warmer water north.
However, scientists now think that the main reason for the differences in winter weather between North America and Europe is actually the winds, not just the ocean currents. Even so, the currents do play a role in very northern areas by helping to prevent the formation of sea ice, which can make those regions a bit warmer than they would be otherwise.
See also
- Ocean gyre
- Corriente del Atlántico Norte para niños (In Spanish)
