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Q: Define and discuss the origin of ocean currents. Explain the Ocean currents of Atlantic Ocean.

Ocean Current:
An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of ocean water generated by the forces acting upon this mean flow. They are shallow or deep streams of cool or warm water . On the surface of the oceans, strips of water between 50 and 500 kilometres wide and a few hundred metres deep are driven by prevailing winds and circulate constantly.
Factors that cause Ocean Currents:
1. Solar Heating
2. Power of Winds
3. Force of Gravity
4. The Coriolis force
5. Land masses

Currents of Atlantic Ocean:
The Atlantic ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. It is divided into the North and South sections by the Equator and is connected to the larger Pacific Ocean via the Arctic Ocean to the north, and by the Drake Passage to the south. Circulation of surface waters is generally clockwise in the North Atlantic and counterclockwise in the South Atlantic. There are, however, many exceptions to the general circulation, particularly along the coasts.

North Atlantic Ocean:

1)North Equatorial Current:
This current originates from the northwestern coast of Africa, where it is fed mainly by the cooler waters flowing from the northeast Atlantic. As the NEC travels across the open ocean, it is joined by waters originating south of the equator. It divides in two branches near West Indies:
a)Bhamas Current
b)Caribbean Current:

2)Gulf Stream:
In the North Atlantic, the strongest current is the warm Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream is a fast moving, warm ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico and flows into the Atlantic Ocean. It makes up a portion of the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre.

3)North Atlantic Current:
The Gulf stream flows northeastward off the United States coast, encounters the cold Labrador Current from the north, and continues across the Atlantic as the North Atlantic Current, or Drift. It continues northward as the Irminger and Norwegian currents. West of Spain, part of the North Atlantic Current turns southward, flows along the "bulge" of Africa as the Canaries Current.

4)Eastern Greenland Current
Starting off the Greenland coast, the deepwater slowly drifts south along the western margin of the Atlantic basin. It then crosses the equator and mixes with the deepwater currents circling Antarctica.

5)Labrador Current:
The Labrador current starts south of Greenland at the Davis strait and moves along side the North East edge of North America (Canada) until it meets the Gulf Current, a few hundred miles south of Newfoundland.

South Atlantic Ocean:

1)South Equatorial Current:
It starts off the west coast of Africa, south of the Gulf of Guinea, and flows in a generally westerly direction. The current approaches Cabo de Sao Roque and divides into two arms.

2)East Brazilian Current:
The Brazil Current is a weak western boundary current carrying warm subtropical water. Its origin begins where the westward flowing trans-Atlantic South Equatorial Current (SEC) bifurcates.

3)Benguela Current:
The Benguela Current is the eastern boundary current of the South Atlantic subtropical gyre. It begins as a northward flow off the Cape of Good Hope, where it skirts the western African coast equatorward until around 24°S-30°S.

4)Falkland Current:
Falkland Current, a cold current of the South Atlantic Ocean. It originates near Antarctica and flows northward, past the Falkland Islands, parallel to the coast of Argentina. The Falkland Current merges with the warm Brazil Current in the Río de la Plata region.