11. Western and Eastern
Boundary Currents
Expedition Menu
1. Introduction
2. Tracking Drifters
3. Drifters Pacific
4. Drifters Atlantic
5. Drifters Indian
6. Velocity Pacific
7. Velocity Atlantic
8. Velocity Indian
9. Global Circulation
10. Counter Currents
11. Boundary Currents
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Currents, such as the California current are known as eastern boundary currents (east side of Pacific), whereas the Gulf Stream is a western boundary current (west side of Atlantic) as is the Kuroshio current in the western Pacific near Japan.
Image from Matthias Tomczak and copyright-protected.
Because we live on a rotating earth (once again), the eastern and western boundary currents flow at different speeds -- you should have noticed this characteristic in your drawings of drifter movements since the arrows on the west sides (left side on maps) of the oceans are generally longer than those on the east (right) sides -- signifying more movements in the same amount of time.
Western boundary currents are intensified relative to eastern boundary currents. For example, a large current, such as the Gulf Stream, located south of Nova Scotia, transports more than 150 million cubic meters of water per second -- that's an incredible volume of water -- warm water.
Eastern boundary currents, such as the California current, tend to be sluggish.
Western and eastern boundary currents also have drastically different climatic effects.
Use the map of surface currents shown above and sea surface temperature map (below) in order to complete the table at the bottom of the page, which will be used to summarize your discussion on boundary currents.
Using the map of sea surface temperature, you might have noticed that the eastern boundary currents (on east sides of oceans) carry cold water from the polar (or sub-polar) region towards the equator, whereas the western boundary currents carry warm water from the equator towards the polar regions. This circulation system redistributes heat around the world, thereby controlling climate.
Last
Updated on
July 1, 2011
Send to Don Reed
Department of Geology
San José State University
