Warm Gulf Stream. When did the golf stream appear?

GOLFSTREAM

Gulf Stream

warm current in north parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Name Gulf Stream (Gulf Stream) from English, gulf "bay", stream "flow" and means letters "flood current"- it is formed in the Strait of Florida as a drainage current from the Gulf of Mexico. Discovered Spanish seafarers at the beginning of the 16th century V. and was first called the Florida Current. The name Gulf Stream was proposed by America. scientist Benjamin Franklin in 1722 G.

Geographical names of the world: Toponymic dictionary. - M: AST. Pospelov E.M. 2001.

GOLFSTREAM

system of warm currents in the north. parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Formed in the south. part of the Strait of Florida, in the ocean it connects with the Antilles Current and moves to the north along the north. America to the Newfoundland Bank, after which it is called the North Atlantic Current. Width up to 200 km, flow thickness 700-800 m, speed 10 km/h.

Concise geographical dictionary. EdwART. 2008.

Gulf Stream

(Gulf Stream), a system of warm currents in the north. parts of the Atlantic Ocean, extending over 10 thousand km from the Florida Peninsula to the islands of Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. Discovered by Spanish sailors at the beginning of the 16th century. and it was called Florida Current . The name Gulf Stream was proposed in 1722 by B. Franklin. Originates in the south. h. Florida Strait. as a result of a strong surge of water into the Gulf of Mexico by trade winds. through the Yucatan Strait. When entering the ocean, the flow capacity is 2160 km³ per day, which is 20 times the flow of all rivers on the globe. Coming out into the ocean, it connects with the Antilles Current and at 38° N. latitude. its power more than triples. Further, G. moves at a speed of 6–10 km/h in the north along the Atlantic coast of the North. America to Bol. Newfoundland Bank, outside of which is called North Atlantic Current . The width of the stream from south to north increases from 75 to 200 km, its thickness is 700–800 m, and the water temperature at the surface decreases from 24–28 to 10–20 °C. G. has a huge impact on the nature of the north. part of the Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent part of the North. the Arctic Ocean, as well as the climate of Europe, creating very mild climatic conditions in temperate and arctic latitudes.

Dictionary of modern geographical names. - Ekaterinburg: U-Factoria. Under the general editorship of academician. V. M. Kotlyakova. 2006 .

Gulf Stream

a system of warm currents in the North Atlantic Ocean. It spreads over 10 thousand km - from the Florida Peninsula to Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. Originates in the south. part of the Strait of Florida as a result of a strong surge of water from the trade winds through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico, which leads to a significant difference in levels between the Gulf of Mexico and the adjacent part of the Atlantic Ocean. When entering the ocean, the flow capacity is 2160 km³ per day, which is 20 times the flow of all rivers on the globe. Coming out into the ocean, it connects with the Antilles Current, and at 38° N. w. power more than triples.
The Gulf Stream moves northward at a speed of 6–10 km/h along the Atlantic coast of the North. America to the Great Newfoundland Bank, beyond which is called the North Atlantic Current. Shir. flow in the south - 75 km, thickness 700–800 m, water temperature at the surface 24–28 °C; in the area of ​​the Great Newfoundland Bank shire. the flow reaches 200 km, speed up to 4 km/h, water temperature at the surface 10–20 °C. At the south The cold Labrador Current approaches the outskirts of the Great Newfoundland Bank from the north, which causes mixing and subsidence of surface waters.
Off the coast of Europe, the Gulf Stream splits into a number of branches. The warm Irminger Current enters the Greenland Sea, bypassing Iceland from the west; The West Greenland Current bends around Greenland from the south and follows along its west. shores in the Baffin Sea; The Norwegian Current runs along the west. shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula, and near its northern. at the tip, the North Cape Current separates, running to the east along the south. parts of the Barents Sea. Basic The Gulf Stream continues to the north and runs along the west. coast of Spitsbergen. To the north it plunges into the cold waters of the North. of the Arctic Ocean and persists here as a warm and salty intermediate current.
The Gulf Stream has a huge impact on the climate, hydrological and biological conditions of the north. parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent part of the North. Arctic Ocean, as well as on the climate of Europe, creating very mild conditions in the north. latitudes January temperatures deviate from Wed. latitudinal values ​​in Norway by 15–20°, and in Murmansk by more than 10°.
Warm current in the north. part of the Atlantic Ocean was discovered in the beginning. 16th century Spanish navigators called it the Florida Current. The name Gulf Stream was proposed (in 1722) by the American scientist B. Franklin.

Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia. - M.: Rosman. Edited by prof. A. P. Gorkina. 2006 .

Gulf Stream

a warm current in the mid-latitudes of the North Atlantic Ocean, moving in a northeasterly direction. The main branch of this current originates in the Gulf of Mexico (hence its name, which means “current from the Gulf” in English) and penetrates into the Atlantic through the Strait of Florida; then the current is diverted north by the Great Bahama Bank, an underwater platform located southeast of the Florida Peninsula.
Coming out of the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Stream carries large accumulations of floating algae of the genus Sargassum and various species of thermophilic fish (including flying ones). Off the east coast of Florida, the boundaries of the Gulf Stream are clear, especially the western one. The brilliant blue of this current contrasts sharply with the greenish-gray, colder waters of the North Atlantic.
The flow itself is not just a homogeneous mass of a moving ribbon of water. It consists of several streams having approximately the same direction. At its eastern edge there are numerous rightward curling eddies; some of them are even completely separated from the main stream.
Near the Grand Bahama Bank, the Gulf Stream receives a branch of the North Trade Wind Current and follows generally parallel to the east coast of the United States, but at a short distance from it. It is with the warm waters of this current that the mild winter on the Bermuda Islands is associated. Near Cape Hatteras (the coast of North Carolina), the Gulf Stream turns northeast and heads towards the Great Bank of Newfoundland. Here it meets the cold Labrador Current and also comes into contact with colder air coming from the north. As a result, the area experiences almost constant fog. From the Great Newfoundland Bank, the Gulf Stream moves eastward to the shores of Europe (this part of it is called the Western Wind Current). Approximately in the middle of the North Atlantic, the Gulf Stream divides into two currents. One of them follows further east to the shores of Europe, and then, turning south, forms the Canary Current, the other, called the North Atlantic Current, gradually deviates to the left and continues to move to the northeast. This current passes off the western coast of the British Isles, where a branch is again separated from it, heading west to the southern coast of Iceland - the Irminger Current. Another part of the North Atlantic Current, the Norwegian Current, follows the coast of Norway.

Encyclopedia Around the World. 2008 .

See what "GOLFSTREAM" is in other dictionaries:

- (Gulf stream) is the name given to one of the most important ocean currents of the Northern half of the Atlantic Ocean, which has great navigational and physical geographical significance. It is a continuation of that branch of the united Guiana and Northern... ... Marine Dictionary

Modern encyclopedia

Gulf Stream- (English Gulf Stream), a system of warm currents in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean (the largest of them are the Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current). Extends 10 thousand km from the shores of the Florida peninsula to the Great Newfoundland ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (English Gulf Stream) a system of warm currents in the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean, extending 10 thousand km from the coast of the Florida Peninsula to the islands of Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. Speed ​​from 6 to 10 km/h in the Florida Straits. up to 3 4 km/h in area B.… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Current, golfstream, golfstream Dictionary of Russian synonyms. golfstream noun, number of synonyms: 3 golfstream (3) ... Synonym dictionary

GOLF STREAM, a relatively fast current in the North Atlantic Ocean. Originates in the Gulf of Mexico, USA; flows along the east coast of North America, then across the Atlantic Ocean (at this point it is called NORTH... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

- (Flood Current) one of the most remarkable sea currents, passes to the north. Atlantic Ocean from the West Indies to the shores of Europe, in the north. Arctic Ocean and to the west. the shores of Greenland. This name was first given by Franklin, who considered the origin ... Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron

Gulf Stream- ■ Famous city in Norway, recently opened... Lexicon of common truths

Giving away your warmth along the way.

1. Route

Gulf Stream flow diagram

The current extends 10 thousand km from the coast of the Florida peninsula to the islands of Svalbard and Novaya Zemlya. It begins in the Gulf of Mexico with the sewage waters of the Antilles Current, passes through the Straits of Florida, and, diverted by the Grand Bahama Bank on the left and receiving the waters of the Antilles Current, flows along the US coastline into the Newfoundland Banks. The current carries huge masses of free-floating algae of the genus Sargassum and thermophilic tropical fish (also flying fish). Off the coast of Florida, a clear current boundary contrasts the blue (indigo-colored) warm waters from the greenish-gray coastal cool, but more oxygenated, waters.

On the southern edge of the Newfoundland Bank, the cold Labrador Current approaches the Gulf Stream from the north, at the border of which mixing and subsidence of surface waters occurs. Cold northern air masses also occur here, which cause fog to dominate.

After passing the Newfoundland Bank (at about 40 west longitude), the Gulf Stream itself turns into the North Atlantic Current, which, under the influence of western and southwestern winds, crosses the ocean from east to west, gradually changing direction off the coast of Europe to the northeast. When crossing the Atlantic Ocean at about 40 West longitude 50 North latitude, it is divided into two:

The main flow of the North Atlantic Current is directed into the Norwegian Sea and further north along the western coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula under the name of the Norwegian Current. In the northern part of Scandinavia, a branch is separated from the flow - the North Cape Current, which is directed east by the southern part of the Barents Sea.

The main flow of the Norway Current continues north, where it passes along the western shores of Spitsbergen under the name of the Spitsbergen Current. North of Spitsbergen, the water currents plunge to depth and can be traced in the Arctic Ocean under the cold and desalinated surface waters as a warm and salty intermediate current.

Warm waters, gradually cooling along the route, fall down and again head south. There they warm up again, rise to the surface and return to the north.

2. Reasons for education

The reason for the appearance of the current is a large surge of water caused by trade winds through the Yucatan Strait to the Gulf of Mexico. This is what causes a significant difference in water levels between the bay and the adjacent part of the Atlantic Ocean. At the outlet to the ocean, the power of the current is 25 million m/s (2160 km per day), which is 20 times higher than the flow of all rivers on the globe. In the ocean, the current connects with the Antilles Current, and the power of the Gulf Stream increases and at 38 northern latitude reaches 82 million m / s. One of the features of the Gulf Stream is that, in violation of the general pattern of movement in the Northern Hemisphere, the current at the outlet to the ocean is deviated not to the right under the influence of the Coriolis force, but to the left. This is due to the increased ocean water level in the anticyclonic region in the subtropical part of the Atlantic Ocean and the ponding of water at the exit from the Gulf of Mexico.

Global warming is weakening the flow due to an increase in the volume of fresh meltwater from glaciers in Greenland and the Arctic, as well as Russian rivers flowing into the North Atlantic. The latter reduce the salinity of the water, which makes it difficult for cold water to descend and, as a result, slows down the mechanism that sets the current in motion.

3. Water characteristics

Temperature map of the Atlantic. Warm waters are indicated in red

When leaving the Gulf of Mexico into the Strait of Florida, the speed of water movement reaches 80 - 120 nautical miles per day (5-9 km/h). Surface water temperature is 27 C, salinity is 36.5. In the ocean, the Gulf Stream also moves at a speed of 6 km/h (sometimes up to 10 km/h) in a northerly direction, along the edge of the North American continental shelf, and at Cape Gateras it deviates to the northeast, towards the Newfoundland Banks. Here its speed decreases to 3-4 km/hour. The width of the current in the south is 75 km, at Cape Gateras - 110-120 km. The thickness of the stream is 700-800 m, gradually decreasing to the north. During its movement, the Gulf Stream forms numerous meanders, and in the stream itself, cyclic gyres develop at the eastern border, which can separate and independently move north.

The Gulf Stream carries a large supply of heat and salts. The average annual water temperature on the surface is 25-26 C, at depths of 400 m the temperature is 10-12 C. Salinity is 36.2-36.4, the maximum is 36.5, observed at a depth of 200 m.

The water flow of the Gulf Stream is 50 million m/s with a thermal power of 1.4 10 15 Watt. This is equal to the power of 1 million modern nuclear power plants.

4. Influence

The Gulf Stream influences the climate of the east coast of North America from Florida to Newfoundland, and the west coast of Europe. The Gulf Stream warm current system also significantly influences the hydrological and biological characteristics of both the seas and the Arctic Ocean itself. Masses of warm water heat the air masses above them and are transported to Europe by westerly winds. Deviations of air temperature from the average latitude values ​​in January in Norway reach 15-20 C, in Murmansk - more than 11 C.

5. Dependence on winds

Changes in the temperature of the water in the stream are closely dependent on fluctuations in the strength of trade winds, which drive warm tropical waters into the Gulf of Mexico. The strengthening of the northeast trade wind affects the increase in the temperature of the Gulf Stream after 3-6 months, and the strengthening of the southeast trade wind - after 6-9 months. Following the increase in temperature, periods of cooling occur, due to the fact that the strengthening of trade winds simultaneously leads to cooling of the ocean surface. Off the coast of Africa, cold waters rise from the depths. Periods of decrease in Gulf Stream temperature occur 9-11 months after the strengthening of the northeast trade wind and 10-12 months after the strengthening of the southeast trade wind.

6. Research

The current was discovered in the year by the Spanish expedition of Ponce de Leon. The first studies of the current began with the increase in shipping off the coast of North America in the 18th century. In the year Benjamin Franklin became interested in the fact that mail ships from England travel to America by the northern route several weeks longer than by the southern route. The map he compiled was published this year in England, this year in France, and this year in the USA. It was he who gave the current its name - “current from the bay” (eng. Gulf Stream ).

Systematic research of the Gulf Stream began in the middle of the 20th century. For the first time, a significant decrease in current power was recorded in the year. Now scientists are trying to figure out whether the power weakening process is short-term or long-term. Krmmel, Die Atlantischen Meeresstrmmungen ("Zeitschr. F. Wissenschaftliche Geographie", 4 Jahrgang) ()

6.2. Anomalies 2010

In the spring and summer of the year, anomalies were recorded in the Gulf Stream pattern. Based on the available satellite data, Dr. Gianluigi Zangara, a theoretical physicist from the National Institute of Nuclear Physics of Italy, notes that the power of the current has decreased significantly, and discontinuities are observed. He connects this with the accident at an oil well in the Gulf of Mexico. The current in the bay closed on itself, due to which the influx of warm water to the Gulf Stream decreased significantly

Notes

1. Risk of global climate change by BP oil spill - www.associazionegeofisica.it / OilSpill.pdf / / report by theoretical physicist Gianluigi Zangara for the Frascati National Laboratories (LNF), National Institute of Nuclear Physics of Italy - INFN). (English)

Literature

1. (Russian) Gershman I. G. Gulf Stream and its influence on climate, "Meteorology and Hydrology", 1939, No. 7-8.
2. (Russian) Shuleikin V.V., Physics of the Sea, 3rd ed., M., 1953.
3. (Russian) Samoilov K. I. Marine Dictionary. - M.-L.: State Naval Publishing House of the NKVMF of the USSR, 1941.
4. (Russian) Geography. Modern illustrated encyclopedia, ed. prof. A. P. Gorkin. Rosman, 2006.
5. (Russian) Stommel G. Gulf Stream, per. from English, M., 1963.

Everyone knows from school that the Gulf Stream warms entire continents. So imagine what will happen when it completely changes direction. Now this process is underway and this explains many natural disasters...

Scientists have confirmed that the famous ocean current, the Gulf Stream, has finally changed its direction. Now it does not reach Spitsbergen, but turns towards Greenland, which contributes to warmer weather on the American continent, but “freezes” northern Siberia.

The shutdown of the Gulf Stream was first reported by Dr. Dr. Gianluigi Zangari, a theoretical physicist at the Frascati Institute in Italy, in a journal article on June 12, 2010. The article is based on satellite data from the Colorado Aerodynamic Research Center, coordinated with the US Navy's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration . The author pointed out the stopping of the rotation of water flows in the Gulf of Mexico and the breaking of the Gulf Stream into parts. Subsequently, the images were changed on the server of the Colorado Aerodynamic Research Center and now it is difficult to say by whom and when.

How did the current go?

The cold and denser Labrador Current “dived” under the warm and lighter Gulf Stream, without preventing it from warming Europe, reaching Murmansk. Then the Labrador Current “surfaced” off the coast of Spain under the name of the cold Canary Current, crossed the Atlantic, reached the Caribbean Sea, heated up and, passing through a loop in the Gulf of Mexico, already under the name of the Gulf Stream, freely rushed back to the North.

The Gulf Stream was part of the thermohaline circulation system, a key element in the planet's thermal regulation. It separated England and Ireland from becoming a glacier. Smoothed out the climate in the Scandinavian countries.

After Dr. Zangari's message, the Canadian Parliament created a commission to find out the real state of affairs with the Gulf Stream near the coast of the state. It was headed by the famous US oceanologist Ronald Rabbit, a technologist for processing the biomass of the World Ocean and improving the environment. A special dye that does not harm the flora and fauna of the ocean was poured into containers that exploded at a certain depth and, thus, the flow of movement of water masses was tracked. The Gulf Stream was not discovered as an existing current.

But, as it turned out, the self-regulating system called “worked” this time too. According to research, the current “crept” 800 miles (1,481 kilometers) east of the former Gulf Stream zone. According to satellite images, the temperature of this current has increased relative to the Gulf Stream. This means that the evaporation rate in the warm zone above the ocean has increased.

A small digression: most people believe that moist air is heavier than dry air, but this is not true. Molecules of oxygen O2, carbon dioxide CO2 and nitrogen N2 are heavier than water molecules H2O.

What does this change mean for us?

Presumably, a very cold winter of up to -45 degrees and little snow in the European part of Russia, Western Europe will be covered with snow, and hurricane winds will rage on the border of the fronts. In mid-February 2011, instead of frost, spring came in Canada with a temperature of +10. America, apparently, will also not be left without a “carrot”. This is confirmed by the recent cold weather in Montana, South Dakota, Texas, Arkansas and Tennessee.

Main world ocean currents. The Gulf Stream originates in the Gulf of Mexico, heads towards Europe (dark color of the “river”), turns towards Greenland, cools (gray, light color of the “river”), sinks to depth, and flows south. According to new data, the channel of the Gulf Stream (surface warm flow) has recently deviated towards Greenland by 800 km.

GOLFSTREAM , (English Gulf Stream, literally - gulf current), a warm current in the North Atlantic. In a broad sense, hydrodynamics is a powerful system of warm currents that extends 10,000 km from the coast of the Florida Peninsula to the islands of Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. The Gulf proper begins in the southern part of the Strait of Florida as the drainage current of the Gulf of Mexico at its confluence with the waters of the Antilles Current and continues to the Great Newfoundland Bank. The reason for its origin is the large surge of water by trade winds through the Yucatan Strait into the Gulf of Mexico and the resulting significant difference in levels between the Gulf of Mexico and the adjacent part of the Atlantic Ocean. When entering the ocean, the power of the current is 25 million m³/sec. (2160 km³ per day), which is 20 times the flow of all rivers on the globe. In the ocean, it connects with the Antilles Current, and the power of the G. increases by 38° N. w. Reaches 82 million m³/sec. One of the features of hydrodynamics is that, in violation of the general pattern of movement in the Northern Hemisphere, this current, upon exiting the ocean, deviates not to the right under the influence of the force of the Earth’s rotation, but to the left. In the ocean, G. moves in a northerly direction, along the edge of the continental shallows of North America, and at Cape Hatteras it deviates to the northeast, towards the Newfoundland Bank. After passing it, at approximately 40° W. etc., the Atlantic Ocean itself turns into the North Atlantic Current, which, under the influence of western and southwestern winds, crosses the ocean from east to west, gradually changing direction off the coast of Europe to the northeast. When approaching the port of Thomson, a branch separates from the North Atlantic Current - the warm Irminger Current, which partially enters the Greenland Sea, skirting Iceland from the west, but the main mass moves to the west, skirts Greenland from the south and follows along its western coast called the West Coast. Greenland Current in the Baffin Sea. The main flow of the North Atlantic Current continues into the Norwegian Sea and follows north along the western coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula under the name of the Norwegian Current. At the northern tip of the Scandinavian Peninsula, a branch separates from it - the North Cape Current, which follows east along the southern part of the Barents Sea. The main flow of the Norwegian Current continues to the north and, under the name of the Spitsbergen Current, passes along the western shores of Spitsbergen. North of Spitsbergen, this current plunges to depths and can be traced in the Arctic Ocean under cold and desalinated surface waters as a warm and salty intermediate current. The width of the sea in different parts of the sea is 75–200 km, the thickness of the flow is 700–800 m, the speed is 80–300 cm/sec, and the water temperature on the surface is from 10 to 28°C. The system of warm currents in Greece has a great influence on the hydrological and biological characteristics of both the seas and the Arctic Ocean itself and on the climate of European countries adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean. Masses of warm water heat the air passing over them, which is carried by westerly winds to Europe (southern trees grow in western Norway at the latitude of Magadan). One of the branches of the Gulf Stream - the North Cape Current - reaches the Kola Peninsula, allowing the Kola Bay and the waters of the sea ports on Murman, in particular, not to freeze (the air temperature in Murmansk deviates from the average values ​​​​at this latitude to 11ºС).
In Russia, F. F. Yarzhinsky announced the passage of geology along the Murmansk coast for the first time after studying the temperature regime of the Barents Sea at a meeting of the Russian Geographical Society in 1870 (previously there was a hypothesis of the German geographer A. Peterman). Subsequent observations by Academician A.F. Middendorf confirmed his data, although in the capital they were of the opinion that “there is no and cannot be any Golfström.” N. M. Knipovich with the staff of the Murmansk scientific and fishing expedition (1898–1908) discovered 4 branches of the North Cape warm current in the Barents Sea. The southern one, Murmanskaya, ran parallel to the coast of the Kola Peninsula, then dividing into two streams (towards Novaya Zemlya and the Kaninsky Shoal). The expedition established a connection between the migration of juveniles of bottom species and their accumulation on shallows and banks with the warm currents of the river, and it was proposed to expand the fishing area. New opportunities in the study of geology opened up in the middle of the 20th century. with the advent of more advanced scientific equipment.

Lit.: Middendorf A.F. Golfstrem to the east of the North Cape. - St. Petersburg, 1871; Shuleikin V.V. Physics of the sea. - M., 1953; Stommel G. Gulf Stream. - M., 1963; Gershman I.G. The Gulf Stream and its influence on climate // Meteorology and Hydrology. 1939. No. 7–8.

Scheme of heat transfer by the Gulf Stream Group:

• Climate; atmosphere

VOCABULARY > G
THEMATIC INDEX > SCIENCE > Natural (mathematics, physics, geography, geology, chemistry, biology, study of the seas, etc.)
THEMATIC INDEX > NATURE > Water resources (seas, rivers, lakes, bays)
THEMATIC INDEX > NATURE > Climate; atmosphere

The Gulf Stream is a powerful warm Atlantic current. The influence of the Gulf Stream is noticeable even in the Arctic Ocean in the form of the North Cape and Norwegian Currents. The Gulf Stream is responsible for unstable weather conditions in this area. GOLF STREAM, a warm current in the mid-latitudes of the North Atlantic Ocean, moving in a northeasterly direction. The fastest current in the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream is one of the very powerful forces of nature.

The water flow of the Gulf Stream is about 50 million cubic meters of water every second, which is 20 times more than the flow of all the world's rivers combined. Locally, in each individual region, the direction and nature of the current are also determined by the outline of the continents, temperature conditions, salinity distribution and other factors.

The Gulf Stream in a broad sense is the entire system of warm currents in the North Atlantic, the core and main driving force of which is the Gulf Stream

It is known that north of Cape Hatteras the Gulf Stream is losing stability. It exhibits quasi-periodic fluctuations with a period of 1.5-2 years, similar to fluctuations in the jet stream in the atmosphere, known as the index cycle. Considering the influence of the Gulf Stream on the climate, it is assumed that in the short-term historical perspective a climate catastrophe associated with disruption of the flow is possible.

In particular, according to Doctor of Geographical Sciences, oceanologist A.L. Bondarenko, “the mode of operation of the Gulf Stream will not change.” This is argued by the fact that no actual water transfer occurs, that is, the flow is a Rossby wave. It carries heated water masses from the Indian Ocean and the south Atlantic to the northwestern coast of Europe.

But the North Atlantic Gulf Stream can't explain all the disappearances

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, European countries adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean have a milder climate compared to regions lying at the same latitude. Over the North Atlantic, westerly winds remove heat from masses of warm water and are transferred to Europe.

This current is directed in a narrow stream along the coast of North America. An additional factor of deviation in the eastern direction is the Coriolis force. The continuation of the Gulf Stream to the northeast of the Great Newfoundland Bank is the North Atlantic Current.

Now the Gulf Stream for Europe and the USA is a generous gift of nature to their economies and populations.

The northern hemisphere weather kitchen is located in the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. The Gulf Stream acts as a heating system in it; it is also called the “stove of Europe”. The cold and denser Labrador Current “dives” under the warm and lighter Gulf Stream without preventing it from warming Europe.

The density of the Labrador Current waters is only 0.1% higher than the density of the Gulf Stream waters. As a result, the Barents Sea does not freeze all year round, and in Europe palm trees grow and houses with cardboard walls are built. If suddenly the Labrador Current becomes equal in density to the Gulf Stream, it will rise closer to the surface of the ocean and block its movement to the north. That's it, we've arrived. We get a diagram of ice age currents.

Studies of ice in Greenland show that climate change processes could occur within three to ten years. Over the next few years, air temperatures in Europe will be equal to those in Siberia. Now giant oil spills have been discovered in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Oil has been leaking for months from a well drilled by BP on the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico.

The Norwegian Current disappeared along with it. The first to report the stoppage of the Gulf Stream in August 2010 was Dr. Zangari, a theoretical physicist from Italy. The average water temperature in the north of the Gulf Stream dropped by 10 degrees.

The Gulf Stream is a warm current in the Gulf of Mexico that bends around Florida and flows along the east coast of the United States to approximately 37 degrees north latitude. and then breaks away from the coast to the east

Letters are coming to the editor asking for clarification on whether the warm current will really disappear soon. Similar currents exist in the Pacific Ocean - Kuroshio, and in the Southern Hemisphere.

For the same reason, the Northern Hemisphere as a whole is slightly warmer than the Southern. The primary reason for the unusual nature of the North Atlantic is that slightly more water evaporates over the Atlantic than falls as precipitation.

In place of the water that has sank into the depths of the North Atlantic, water comes from the south, this is the North Atlantic Current. Thus, the causes of the North Atlantic Current are global, and are unlikely to be significantly affected by such a local event as an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

But even this magnitude of seasonal anomalies is quite common and is observed in one region or another almost every year. Reports that the Gulf Stream between the 76th and 47th meridians in 2010 became colder by 10 degrees Celsius are also not confirmed. But the ice continued to melt, and at some point, water from the lake began to flow into the North Atlantic, desalinizing it and thereby preventing the sinking of the water and the North Atlantic Current.

A continuation of the Gulf Stream is the North Atlantic Current, carrying a cooled stream in the north to the Southern Hemisphere. Changes in the continuity of the Gulf Stream are a topic of debate in scientific circles. Several factors are involved in the origin and direction of the Gulf Stream. Almost a third is in the path of the Gulf Stream. The first refers to the Gulf Stream itself - an ocean current along the eastern coast of North America up to 90 kilometers wide and with a speed of up to several meters per second.

Oceans, lakes and rivers

Gulf Stream Current

In Western Europe, as well as on the east coast of the United States, the climate is quite mild. Thus, on the coast of Florida, the average water temperature is very rarely below 22° Celsius. This is during the winter months. In summer, the air heats up to 36°-39° Celsius with humidity reaching 100%. This temperature regime extends far to the east and north. It covers the states: Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Texas, Kentucky, Georgia, Louisiana, as well as North and South Carolina.

All these administrative entities lie in an area of ​​humid subtropical climate, where the summer average daily temperature does not fall below 25° Celsius, and in the winter months it very rarely drops to 0° Celsius.

If we take Western Europe, then the Iberian, Apennine and Balkan peninsulas, as well as the entire southern part of France, are located in the subtropical zone. Summer temperatures there range from 26°-28° Celsius. In winter, these indicators drop to 2°-5° Celsius, but almost never reach 0°.

In Scandinavia, the average winter temperature ranges from minus 4° to 2° Celsius. In the summer months it rises to 8°-14°. That is, even in the northern regions the climate is quite acceptable and suitable for comfortable living.

Gulf Stream Current

This temperature bliss occurs in a vast region for a reason. It is directly connected with the Gulf Stream ocean current. It is what shapes the climate and gives people the opportunity to enjoy warm weather almost all year round.

The Gulf Stream is a whole system of warm currents in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its full length covers a distance of 10 thousand kilometers from the sultry shores of Florida to the ice-covered islands of Spitsbergen and Novaya Zemlya. Huge masses of water begin to move in the Strait of Florida. Their volume reaches 25 million cubic meters per second.

The Gulf Stream moves slowly and majestically along the east coast of North America and crosses 40° N. w. Near the island of Newfoundland it meets the Labrador Current. The latter carries cold waters to the south and forces warm water flows to turn east.

After such a collision, the Gulf Stream splits into two currents. One rushes north and turns into the North Atlantic Current. This is what shapes the climate in Western Europe. The remaining mass reaches the coast of Spain and turns south. Off the coast of Africa, it meets the North Trade Wind Current and deviates to the west, ending its journey in the Sargasso Sea, from which it is a stone's throw to the Gulf of Mexico. Then the cycle of huge masses of water repeats.

This has been going on for thousands of years. Sometimes a powerful warm current weakens, slows down, reduces heat transfer, and then cold falls on the ground. An example of this is the Little Ice Age. Europeans observed it in the XIV-XIX centuries. Every heat-loving resident of Europe has experienced first-hand what a real frosty, snowy winter is like.

True, before this, in the 8th-13th centuries there was a noticeable warming. In other words, the Gulf Stream was gaining power and releasing a very large amount of heat into the atmosphere. Accordingly, on the lands of the European continent the weather was very warm, and snowy, cold winters had not been observed for centuries.

Nowadays, powerful warm streams of water also influence the climate as in former times. Nothing has changed under the sun, and the laws of nature remain the same. But man has come very far in his technological progress. His tireless activities triggered the Greenhouse Effect.

The result was the melting of the ice of Greenland and the Arctic Ocean. Huge masses of fresh water poured into the salt waters and rushed south. Nowadays, this situation is already beginning to affect the powerful warm current. Some experts predict an imminent stop of the Gulf Stream, since it will not be able to cope with the influx of incoming waters. This will entail a sharp cooling in Western Europe and the east coast of North America.

The situation was aggravated by the largest accident at the Tiber oil field in the Gulf of Mexico. Underwater in the bowels of the earth, geologists have found huge oil reserves, estimated at 1.8 billion tons. Experts drilled a well, the depth of which was 10,680 meters. Of these, 1259 meters were in the ocean water column. In April 2010, a fire broke out on an oil platform. It burned for two days and claimed the lives of 11 people. But it was, although tragic, a prelude to what happened after that.

The burnt platform sank, and oil began to flow from the well into the open ocean. According to official sources, 700 tons of oil entered the waters of the Gulf of Mexico per day. However, independent experts gave a different figure—13.5 thousand tons per day.

The oil film, huge in its area, hindered the movement of Atlantic waters, and this, accordingly, began to negatively affect heat transfer. Hence, there was a disruption in the circulation of Atlantic air flows. They no longer had the strength to move east and create the usual mild climate there.

The result was a terrible heat wave in Eastern Europe in the summer of 2010, when air temperatures rose to 45° Celsius. This was caused by winds from North Africa. They, without encountering any resistance on their way, brought a hot and dry cyclone to the north. It hovered over a vast territory and stayed above it for almost two months, destroying all living things.

At the same time, Western Europe was shocked by terrible floods, as heavy, moisture-filled clouds coming from the Atlantic did not have enough strength to break through the dry and hot front. They were forced to dump tons of water onto the ground. All this provoked a sharp rise in river levels and, as a result, various disasters and human tragedies.

What are the immediate prospects, and what awaits old Europe in the near future? Experts say that dramatic climate changes will begin to be felt as early as 2020. Western Europe faces cooling and rising sea levels. This will provoke impoverishment of the middle class, since its money is invested in real estate, which will sharply fall in price.

From here, political and social tension will arise in all layers of society. The consequences of this can be the most tragic. It is simply impossible to predict anything specific, since there are many scenarios for the development of events. Only one thing is clear: difficult times are coming.

The Gulf Stream, nowadays, thanks to global warming and the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, is practically closed in a ring and does not provide sufficient thermal energy to the North Atlantic Current. Accordingly, air flows are disrupted. Completely different winds are beginning to dominate over European territory. The usual climate balance is being disrupted - this is already noticeable with the naked eye.

In such a situation, anyone can be overwhelmed by a feeling of anxiety and hopelessness. Of course, not for the fate of hundreds of millions of people, since this is too vague and unclear, but for the specific fate of their relatives and friends. But it is premature to despair, let alone panic. Nobody knows how it will actually be there.

The future is full of surprises. It is entirely possible that global warming is not global warming at all. This is a normal increase in temperatures as part of the climate cycle. Its duration is 60 years. That is, for six decades the temperature on the planet has been steadily increasing, and over the next 60 years it has been slowly decreasing. The beginning of the last cycle dates back to the end of 1979. It turns out that half the journey has already been completed and we only have to wait 30 years.

The Gulf Stream is too powerful a stream of water to simply change direction or disappear. There may be some failures and deviations, but they will never turn into global and irreversible processes. There are simply no prerequisites for this. At least these days they are not observed.

Yuri Syromyatnikov

Education

A warm current is... Main characteristics of currents. The most famous warm currents

The warm current is the Gulf Stream, El Niño, Kuroshio. What other currents exist? Why are they called warm? Read about it further.

Where do currents come from?

Currents are directional flows of water masses. They can have different widths and depths - from several meters to hundreds of kilometers. Their speed can reach up to 9 km/h. The direction of water flows is determined by the rotational force of our planet. Thanks to it, currents in the Southern Hemisphere deviate to the right, and in the Northern Hemisphere - to the left.

The formation and character of currents is influenced by many conditions. The reason for their appearance may be the wind, the tidal forces of the Moon and the Sun, different densities and temperatures, and the water level of the World Ocean. Most often, several factors contribute to the formation of currents.

There is a neutral, cold and warm current in the ocean. They are defined as such not because of the temperature of their own water masses, but because of the difference with the temperature of the surrounding waters. This means that the current can be warm, even if its waters are considered cold by many indicators. For example, the Gulf Stream is warm, although its temperature ranges from 4 to 6 degrees, and the temperature of the cold Benguela Current is up to 20 degrees.

A warm current is one that forms near the equator. They form in warm waters and move to colder ones. In turn, cold currents move towards the equator. Neutral currents are those that do not differ in temperature from the surrounding waters.

Warm currents

Currents influence the climate of coastal areas. Warm water currents warm the ocean waters. They contribute to a mild climate, high air humidity and large amounts of precipitation. Forests form on the banks next to which warm waters flow. There are such warm currents of the World Ocean:

Pacific Ocean Basin

• East Australian.
• Alaskan.
• Kuroshio.
• El Niño.

Indian Ocean Basin

Atlantic Ocean Basin

• Irminger.
• Brazilian.
• Guiana.
• Gulf Stream.
• North Atlantic.

Arctic Ocean Basin

• West Spitsbergen.
• Norwegian.
• West Greenland.

Video on the topic

Gulf Stream

The warm Atlantic current, one of the largest in the Northern Hemisphere, is the Gulf Stream. It begins in the Gulf of Mexico, enters the waters of the Atlantic Ocean through the Strait of Florida and moves in a northeasterly direction.

The current carries a lot of floating algae and various fish. Its width reaches up to 90 kilometers, and the temperature is 4-6 degrees Celsius. The waters of the Gulf Stream have a bluish tint, contrasting with the surrounding greenish ocean water. It is not homogeneous, and consists of several streams that can separate from the general flow.

The Gulf Stream is a warm current. Meeting with the cold Labrador Current in the Newfoundland area, it contributes to the frequent formation of fogs along the coast. In the very center of the North Atlantic, the Gulf Stream divides, forming the Canary and North Atlantic currents.

El Niño

El Niño is also a warm current - the most powerful current. It is not constant and occurs once every few years. Its appearance is accompanied by a sharp increase in water temperature in the surface layers of the ocean. But this is not the only sign of El Niño.

Other warm currents of the World Ocean can hardly compare with the power of influence of this “baby” (as the name of the current is translated). Together with warm waters, the current brings with it strong winds and hurricanes, fires, droughts, and prolonged rains. Residents of coastal areas are suffering from the damage caused by El Niño. Vast areas are flooded, leading to the destruction of crops and livestock.

The current is formed in the Pacific Ocean, in its equatorial part. It stretches along the coast of Peru and Chile, replacing the cold Humboldt Current. When El Niño occurs, fishermen also suffer. Its warm waters trap cold waters (which are rich in plankton) and prevent them from rising to the surface. In this case, the fish do not come to these territories to feed, leaving fishermen without a catch.

Kuroshio

In the Pacific Ocean, another warm current is the Kuroshio. It flows near the eastern and southern coasts of Japan. The current is often defined as a continuation of the Northern Trade Wind. The main reason for its formation is the difference in levels between the ocean and the East China Sea.

Flowing between the straits of Ryukkyu Island, the Kuroshio becomes the North Pacific Current, which turns into the Alaskan Current off the coast of America.

It has similar features to the Gulf Stream. It forms a whole system of warm currents in the Pacific Ocean, just like the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic. Thanks to this, Kuroshio is an important climate-forming factor, softening the climate of coastal areas. The current also has a strong influence on the water area, being an important hydrobiological factor.

The waters of the Japanese current are characterized by a dark blue color, hence its name “Kuroshio”, which translates as “black current” or “dark water”. The current reaches a width of 170 kilometers, and its depth is about 700 meters. Kuroshio's speed ranges from 1 to 6 km/h. The water temperature of the current is 25 -28 degrees in the south and about 15 degrees in the north.

Conclusion

The formation of currents is influenced by many factors, and sometimes a combination of them.

A current whose temperature exceeds the temperature of the surrounding waters is called warm. At the same time, the water in the current can be quite cold. The most famous warm currents are the Gulf Stream, which flows in the Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Pacific Kuroshio and El Niño currents. The latter occurs periodically, bringing with it a chain of environmental disasters.

World Ocean a beautiful and mysterious phenomenon of our planet. It contains a lot of unsolved, interesting and unusual things. One such amazing phenomenon is the warm Gulf Stream. What is it and why does it exist? Scientists already have answers to these questions.

Warm Gulf Stream This is a current in the Atlantic Ocean that begins near the Bahamas and ends its path near Europe and becomes the North Atlantic Current. The Gulf Stream is an amazing phenomenon. Firstly, it is warm, and secondly, the Gulf Stream warms eastern Europe with its waters. It creates a warm climate in Eastern Europe: it is thanks to it that deciduous forests and even palm trees grow here, and the tundra does not lie there.

Why does the Gulf Stream exist? The thing is that the hot and cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean form a kind of conveyor belt. Hot equatorial waters rise to the top and form a current, and when they reach the end of the path, they cool. At the same time, they sink down into the water column and move back to the beginning of the flow. This is how the warm Gulf Stream exists.

Some scientists claim that the Gulf Stream is slowing down its waters, and some that it has stopped completely. It's hard to figure out who's right right now, but the Gulf Stream does have several reasons to slow down.

The first of them is global warming. Glaciers are melting rapidly, diluting the salty ocean water with their fresh water. A decrease in salinity disrupts the balance of the Gulf Stream. The second reason is the very large amount of oil that was spilled in the Gulf of Mexico. This also affects it, disrupting and slowing it down.

Stopping the warm Gulf Stream carries many dangers: cooling of Europe, climate disruption, the emergence of an ice age. It plays a huge role in the life of our planet.

Gulf Stream

Gulf Stream powerful warm Atlantic current. Usually the meaning of the Gulf Stream is used in two senses. The first refers to the Gulf Stream itself, an ocean current along the eastern coast of North America with a width of up to 90 kilometers and a speed of up to several meters per second. The strength of the Current from the bay can be traced at depths of up to 1.5 kilometers. The Gulf Stream in a broad sense is the entire system of warm currents in the North Atlantic, the core and main driving force of which is the Gulf Stream.

The Gulf Stream is formed in tropical latitudes, in the Caribbean Sea. It is preceded by the Yucatan Warm Current, which flows between the Yucatan Peninsula and Cuba into the Gulf of Mexico. Passing through the gulf, the Yucatan Current is replaced by the Florida Current, which, in turn, breaks out between Florida and Cuba. where it merges with the warm Antilles Current near the Bahamas. This is where the Gulf Stream originates.

The path of the Gulf Stream runs along North America. At the latitude of North Carolina, it turns noticeably to the northeast, and already south of the Newfoundland Bank the Gulf Stream ends. Its direct continuation, the North Atlantic Current, heads towards Northern Europe. where it runs between the British Isles and Iceland. Other branches of the Gulf Stream are the Canary Current, the West Greenland Current, the Labrador Current and the Irminger Current. The influence of the Gulf Stream is noticeable even in the Arctic Ocean in the form of the North Cape and Norwegian Currents.

The warm waters of the Gulf Stream are considered perhaps the most powerful climate-forming factor in the North Atlantic. Thanks to its warmth, the climatic conditions of the countries in the region are much milder than the climate at the same latitudes in the Pacific Ocean or in the seas of the Southern Hemisphere.

Changes in the continuity of the Gulf Stream are a topic of debate in scientific circles. It is believed that disruption of the Gulf Stream will lead to a global climate catastrophe in Europe and North America. However, according to scientists, there is nothing to be afraid of yet.

The Gulf Stream is the most famous ocean current that flows across the sea rather than on land. But it is so large that its mass is greater than all the rivers flowing on land!

The Gulf Stream moves north along the east coast of the United States, across the North Atlantic Ocean, reaching northwest Europe. The color of the Gulf Stream - bright blue - contrasts with the greenish and gray water of the ocean through which it passes.

The Gulf Stream begins its journey in the Atlantic Ocean near the equator. Surface water movement, or “drift,” occurs in a westerly direction, so the Gulf Stream initially heads north from South America into the Caribbean Sea. It is only when it turns north and moves along the east coast of the United States that it becomes the Gulf Stream.

Since the Gulf Stream originated in a warm part of the world, it is a flow of warm water. The influx of a huge mass of warm water brings significant changes to the climate of many regions!

Here are some amazing examples: winds passing through the Gulf Stream into Northern Europe bring heat to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Belgium. As a result, it is warmer here in winter than in other areas located at the same latitude. For the same reason, seaports on the Norwegian coast are ice-free all year round.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, winters in Paris and London are warmer than in southern Labrador, where winters are very cold. Winds passing over the Gulf Stream become warm and humid. When such winds cool down, for example when approaching Newfoundland, thick fog forms. This is why there are the famous fogs on the Grand Bank in the Newfoundland area.

The Gulf Stream does not have the same effect on winter temperatures in North America as it does in Europe, since the winds blow towards Europe. An extensive system of warm ocean currents in the North Atlantic Ocean, covering the space from the Gulf of Mexico to Spitsbergen and the Kola Peninsula. The Gulf consists of: the Florida Current, the Gulf Stream in the strict sense of the word, the Atlantic Current, the Canary Current, the Irminger Current, the Norwegian Current, and the Spitsbergen Current.

For several centuries, the Gulf Stream was a kind of river in the ocean for sailors. Knowing its mode and direction well, an experienced helmsman steers the ship in the Gulf Stream, shortening the journey to the shores of Europe, and vice versa, moving in the opposite direction, prefers to stay away. Some of the most stable sections of the Gulf Stream were even jokingly called the “lady current”: another gallant captain entrusted the control of the ship to some passenger in such sections.

Firstly, will the waters of the Polar Gulfstream begin to cross the Arctic Basin on the surface.

Ocean currents also affect temperature. For example, the warm Gulf Stream softens the climate of Great Britain and western Norway so much that they experience higher temperatures than other areas located at the same latitudes. But the large expanse of water also has an adverse effect on coastal areas: freely raging winds pose a danger to flowers, leaves, branches and fruits. In addition, the wind blowing from the sea is saturated with salt, which can have a detrimental effect on leaves, young shoots and fruits. The garden must be protected from the winds by fences and hedges. On the other hand, winds significantly reduce the risk of frost.

Sources: techeniegolfstrim.ru, tochka-na-karte.ru, www.atomstroy.net, otvetina.narod.ru, ru-ecology.info

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