MOVEMENTS OF OCEAN WATER 111
desilting the sediments and in removing Differences in water density affect vertical
polluted water from river estuaries. Tides are mobility of ocean currents. Water with high
used to generate electrical power (in Canada, salinity is denser than water with low salinity
France, Russia, and China). A 3 MW tidal and in the same way cold water is denser than
power project at Durgaduani in Sunderbans warm water. Denser water tends to sink, while
of West Bengal is under way. relatively lighter water tends to rise. Cold-water
ocean currents occur when the cold water at
OCEAN CURRENTS the poles sinks and slowly moves towards the
equator. Warm-water currents travel out from
Ocean currents are like river flow in oceans. the equator along the surface, flowing towards
They represent a regular volume of water in a the poles to replace the sinking cold water.
definite path and direction. Ocean currents are
influenced by two types of forces namely :
(i) primary forces that initiate the movement of Types of Ocean Currents
water; (ii) secondary forces that influence the The ocean currents may be classified based on
currents to flow. their depth as surface currents and deep water
The primary forces that influence the currents : (i) surface currents constitute about
currents are: (i) heating by solar energy; 10 per cent of all the water in the ocean, these
(ii) wind; (iii) gravity; (iv) coriolis force. Heating waters are the upper 400 m of the ocean;
by solar energy causes the water to expand. (ii) deep water currents make up the other 90
That is why, near the equator the ocean water per cent of the ocean water. These waters move
is about 8 cm higher in level than in the middle around the ocean basins due to variations in
latitudes. This causes a very slight gradient the density and gravity. Deep waters sink into
and water tends to flow down the slope. Wind the deep ocean basins at high latitudes, where
blowing on the surface of the ocean pushes the the temperatures are cold enough to cause the
water to move. Friction between the wind and density to increase.
the water surface affects the movement of the Ocean currents can also be classified
water body in its course. Gravity tends to pull based on temperature : as cold currents and
the water down the pile and create gradient warm currents: (i) cold currents bring cold
variation. The Coriolis force intervenes and water into warm water areas. These currents
causes the water to move to the right in the are usually found on the west coast of the
northern hemisphere and to the left in the continents in the low and middle latitudes
southern hemisphere. These large accumulations (true in both hemispheres) and on the east
of water and the flow around them are called coast in the higher latitudes in the Northern
Gyres. These produce large circular currents Hemisphere; (ii) warm currents bring warm
in all the ocean basins. water into cold water areas and are usually
observed on the east coast of continents in the
Characteristics of Ocean Currents low and middle latitudes (true in both
hemispheres). In the northern hemisphere
Currents are referred to by their “drift”. they are found on the west coasts of continents
Usually, the currents are strongest near in high latitudes.
the surface and may attain speeds over
five knots. At depths, currents are Major Ocean Currents
generally slow with speeds less than 0.5
knots. We refer to the speed of a current Major ocean currents are greatly influenced by
as its “drift.” Drift is measured in terms the stresses exerted by the prevailing winds and
of knots. The strength of a current refers coriolis force. The oceanic circulation pattern
to the speed of the current. A fast current
roughly corresponds to the earth’s atmospheric
is considered strong. A current is usually
circulation pattern. The air circulation over the
oceans in the middle latitudes is mainly
strongest at the surface and decreases
anticyclonic (more pronounced in the southern
in strength (speed) with depth. Most
hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere).
currents have speeds less than or equal
The oceanic circulation pattern also
to 5 knots.
corresponds with the same. At higher latitudes,
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