asslam o alaikum seniors! plz check my notes and guide me as i m a new comer and i even dont know how to answer a question in geography becoz i hv no background for geography.............and tell me that how much lengthy should be the answer...........


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. There are many factors that determine the strength of a current, as well as the route it will follow. Winds have the most important influence on the flow of currents, but tides, precipitation, evaporation rates, shape of the ocean floor, and inflow from rivers and adjacent seas are also important.

Factors that cause Ocean Currents:
1. Solar Heating
2. Power of Winds
3. Force of Gravity
4. The Coriolis force
5. Land masses

Types of Ocean Currents:
There are two type of Ocean Currents:

1.Surface Currents:
Surface ocean currents are generally wind-driven and develop their typical clockwise spirals in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise rotation in the Southern hemisphere because of the imposed wind stresses. These waters make up about 10% of all the water in the ocean and are the upper 400 meters of the ocean.

2.Deep Water Currents:
These currents flow under the surface of the ocean and make up the other 90% of the ocean. They are driven by density and temperature gradients. These deep waters sink into the deep ocean basins at high latitudes where the temperatures are cold enough to cause the density to increase.

Importance of Ocean Currents:
Ocean currents can flow for great distances, and together they create the great flow of the global conveyor belt which plays a dominant part in determining the climate of many of the Earth’s regions. Perhaps the most striking example is the Gulf Stream, which makes northwest Europe much more temperate than any other region at the same latitude.

Currents of Atlantic Ocean:
The Atlantic ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about 106,400,000 square kilometres (41,100,000 sq mi), it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area. The Atlantic 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:
In the North Atlantic, the strongest current is the warm Gulf Stream, which forms in the Gulf of Mexico. It 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, then turns westward as the North Equatorial Current. This current crosses the ocean; part of its water reaches the Gulf of Mexico. South of the North Equatorial Current, running in the opposite direction, is the Equatorial Countercurrent.

South Atlantic Ocean:
In the South Atlantic, the cold Benguela Current flows northward up to the coast of Africa, turns west near the Equator, and flows westward as the warm South Equatorial Current. Near the South American coast, part of the current swings southward to become the Brazil Current, which runs down the coast of South America to about 40° South latitude. Here, it meets the cold Falkland Current. Flowing eastward across the South Atlantic in a broad belt around 50° S. is the West Wind Drift.

Dear syeda sabahat plz check this . i ll be really thankful to u

i think types and importance should be omitted as that is not asked in the question ... be specific

then factors that cause the ocean currents should be discussed.........?????????plz tell me ma'am

factors/causes must be mentioned diruba g ,they are being asked in question .
causes/factors=origin

where is the diagrame which is the most important part of the question.you have to draw the diagrame in this type of question.

one drawback of your answer is you precisly define the direction of currents but not define the origin of each current. for example

you have written that in S.ATLANTIC runs northward upto coast of africa,here you have to define from where it originate and then move northwards.

nice attempt but plz if you will define each current separatly then it would be easy for examiner to check your paper.

if you need further assistance then i am always availabe here.

regards sabahat

__________________
GEO to aise k sab tumhara ha,MARO to aisa jaise tmhara kuch bhi nhi.

Maza deti han zindagi ki thokerin unko,jinhen NAAM-E-KHUDA le kar sanbhal janey ki adat ho.

Thank u so much ma'am sabahat ,u have cleared my mind that how to attempt a question in geography.........this is my id..... ************@yahoo.com........plz add me on yahoo........

Sabahat api plz check it now and correct it


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.