What is ocean current? 

Candidates are expected to:-

Define ocean currents, explain the causes of ocean currents, identify the types of ocean currents i.e. warm and cold currents and describe their characteristics.

An ocean current is the general movement of surface water in the ocean in a fairly defined direction.

Ocean currents are caused by:

• Winds blowing over surface of the water creating friction on the surface water.
• Differences in water density where the dense water from poles flows towards the equator and vice versa.
• Rotation of the earth deflects the currents to the right in northern hemispheres and left in southern hemisphere.
• The shape of land masses where islands split the ocean currents into
• Ocean currents are divided into warm Ocean currents and cold Ocean Examples of warm Ocean currents include Mozambique currents, North Atlantic drift, Kuro siwo etc.
• Cold ocean currents include Benguela, cool canaries, Californian current etc.
• Warm Ocean currents are characterized by warm temperatures, they flow from low latitudes near the equator to the high latitudes and they flow from areas of low pressure to areas of high pressure and generally flow on the eastern side of continents
• Cold Ocean current are characterized by cold temperatures, they flow from the high latitudes to low latitudes towards the equator, flow from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure and generally flew on the western side of continents