The Gulf Stream Tuloso-Midway High School

Historical Importance Historical Importance  Ben Franklin drew a map of fastest route across the Atlantic based on his voyage measurements of 1775 – 1785— Turns out it was what is now known as the Gulf Stream

The Path  Global surface currents are the result of wind driven force  Moving water is deflected like the air by the Coriolis effect  The denser water is deflected more than the above air

The Path  Path of water is influenced by global wind bands – Trades and Westerlies  Friction slows the deflected water throughout a depth of about 150 meters

The Path  Current path is also affected by landforms  Gulf Stream turns sharply to the east off Cape Hatteras, NC

The Path Tracking the Floaters Tracking the Floaters  Drift bottles deployed in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean have been followed by satellites  Data explains current motion OTO floats YOTO floats

What does this drifter path tell you about the direction of the Gulf Stream?

Major Oceanic surface currents

The Understanding Special features  Origins in the Gulf of Mexico and waters merge with Caribbean currents  Travels around the Straits of Florida parallel to East coast of the U. S. “ There is a river in the ocean”… Mathew Maury, 1855

The Understanding Special features  Carries heat energy toward the continent of Europe  Some surface water becomes cooler, more saline and sinks near Norway

The Understanding Special features  Gulf Stream water temperatures are substantially warmer than the waters to the North  Act as a barrier between Sargasso Sea and North Labrador current

The Understanding  Gulf stream water temperatures are significantly warmer down to depths of 1000 meters

The Understanding  Volume of water transported is from 55 to 106 cubic meters per second  Current velocity is dependent on the width and depth of current

GULF STREAM Warm water species:

Gulf Stream

The Gulf Stream: The shuttle Endeavor photographed the Gulf Stream off Newfoundland in 1992.

FIVE FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE CLIMATE  1. LATITUDE, LATITUDE, LATITUDE  2.ELEVATION  3. WINDS AND CURRENTS  4.POSITION ON A CONTINENT/PROXIMITY TO WATER  5.LANDFORMS/TOPOGRAPHY

LATITUDE, LATITUDE, LATITUDE  Latitude is the MOST IMPORTANT factor affecting or influencing climate in a region  Lower latitudes generally have warmer climates  Higher latitudes generally have colder climates

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULE  There are exceptions to the rule that Higher Latitudes generally have colder climates  Western Europe is an example --- because of the Gulf Stream and the third factor influencing climate: WINDS AND CURRENTS

WESTERN EUROPE  The climates of Western Europe are milder than places elsewhere on Earth that have similar latitudes  The reason: the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and the winds that blow across them towards the continent

 As the Gulf Stream brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean north and east towards Western Europe, winds blow off of the Atlantic on shore bringing with them the warmer air from the current  The result: a warmer climate in Western Europe than in other places with similar latitudes