What does the West Wind Drift do?
What does the West Wind Drift do?
a current in the southern hemisphere moving from west to east at approximately 40°-55°S, caused by prevailing western winds. It encircles the earth, crossing the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans; the cold Bengal, West Australian, and Peru currents branch off from it in the oceans.
In which direction does the West Wind Drift flow?
west to east
Antarctic Circumpolar Current, also called ACC or West Wind Drift, wind-driven surface oceanic current encircling Antarctica and flowing from west to east. Affected by adjacent landmasses, submarine topography, and prevailing winds, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is irregular in width and course.
Why does the West Wind Drift flow to the east quizlet?
The West Wind Drift flows east. It is a cold current. What causes currents such as the Kuroshio Current and the North Pacific Drift to flow in curved patterns? The water being colder affects the way that the currents flow.
Is the West Wind Drift warm or cold?
f) Major currents of the Indian Ocean are West Australian (cold), and Agulhas Current (warm). g) The chief current surrounding Antarctica is the West Wind Drift (cold).
Is the West Wind Drift fast or slow?
The average wind speed between 40°S and 60°S is 15 to 24 knots with strongest winds typically between 45°S and 55°S. Historically, the ACC has been referred to as the ‘West Wind Drift’ because the prevailing westerly wind and current are both eastward.
Why is the West Wind Drift the largest volume current in the world?
The dense water sinks and forms a deep-water mass that flows north, eventually reaching all ocean basins. Also called the ‘West Wind Drift’ because it is driven by powerful westerly winds north of Antarctica. It is the largest volume current in all the oceans.
Where does the wind drift flow?
The Antarctic Coastal Current, also known as the East Wind Drift Current, is the southernmost current in the world. This current is the counter-current of the largest ocean current in the world, Antarctic Circumpolar Current. On the average, it flows westward and parallel to the Antarctic coastline.
Which of the currents marked is the West Wind Drift?
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is an ocean current that flows clockwise from west to east around Antarctica. An alternative name for the ACC is the West Wind Drift. You just studied 25 terms!
What are equatorial waters?
The water mass of the permanent or oceanic thermocline (100–600 m) in the tropical Pacific from 20°S to 15°N. North Pacific Equatorial Water (NPEW) is found north of the equator; it is formed by subsurface mixing between SPEW and central water. …
Is Kuroshio current fast or slow?
The warm western boundary current are fast, deep and narrow: The Gulf Stream in the South Atlantic and Kuroshio in the North Pacific are 50-75 km across and can flow at speeds of up to 3-4 km per hour (1 m s-1), but can be as fast as 7 km per hour ( 2 m s-1).
Is Oyashio a warm current?
Oyashio (親潮, “Parental Tide”), also known as Oya Siwo, Okhotsk or the Kurile current, is a cold subarctic ocean current that flows south and circulates counterclockwise in the western North Pacific Ocean.
What is the North equator?
The Equator is the line of 0 degrees latitude. Each parallel measures one degree north or south of the Equator, with 90 degrees north of the Equator and 90 degrees south of the Equator. The latitude of the North Pole is 90 degrees N, and the latitude of the South Pole is 90 degrees S.
