Question

Describe three major effects of currents.

Answer 1

1. Effect on Climate: Depending on the current washing the coast, the climate of the coasts can change from warm to cool.
2. Temperature: Ocean currents that flow close to a coast, whether warm or cold, have a big impact on the climate. The temperature of the areas where the warm Equatorial currents move tends to rise. The British Isles have a mild climate due to the impact of the warm North Atlantic Drift, while the Labrador Current is frozen for nine months due to the cold Arctic Current. The Peru Current significantly cools Peru's normally scorching temperature. Greenland in the same latitudes is ice-bound year-round, but Norway's harbours, even beyond the North Cape, are always free of ice due to the effect of the North Atlantic Drift. During the winter, the ports along the Alaskan coast are kept free of ice by the warm Kuroshio.
3. Rainfall: The warm ocean current causes the air above it to warm up and increase its ability to absorb moisture. As a result, the winds contribute to the increased precipitation in the impacted coastal regions. For instance, the Kuroshio Current and the North Atlantic Drift, respectively, provide enough rainfall to Japan's east coast and Europe's west coast.