On these charts, arrows indicate the direction of the prevailing current a number printed above the arrow indicates the average speed. Nevertheless, the Pilot Charts are by far the best reference for predicting the direction and speed of these currents. The Sailing Directions Planning Guides contain some information on normal locations and strengths of ocean currents. To predict the behavior of major ocean currents several references are available. The deep oceanic currents (not shown) are caused primarily by water density differences and in general return the (now colder) water back towards the tropics. Pacific, the Kuroshio Current, are strong currents that carry heat northward from the tropics. The well-known Gulf Stream in the Atlantic and its counterpart in the The earth's rotation (origin of the Coriolis force) and the change in wind direction with latitude (from the east in the tropics and from the west at mid-latitudes) cause the circulation of the gyres toīe clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. Prominent features in the map of the major oceanic surface currents include the subtropical gyres centered on 30 degrees latitude in each of the major ocean basins. the Coriolis force which is a consequence of the earth's rotation. ![]() ![]() ![]()
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