Why is the North Equatorial Current important?
The equatorial currents in the Pacific Ocean play an important role in the distribution of water mass and heat and freshwaters of the warm pool, which is key to the evolution of anomalous climate events, like El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO).
Why are equatorial currents important?
The equatorial countercurrent plays an important role in the circulation of mass, heat, and salt in the tropical oceans. It provides one of the pathways through which warm surface water returns eastward after being transported westward in the South Equatorial Current.
What is the important role of ocean current to people’s life?
By moving heat from the equator toward the poles, ocean currents play an important role in controlling the climate. Ocean currents are also critically important to sea life. They carry nutrients and food to organisms that live permanently attached in one place, and carry reproductive cells and ocean life to new places.
Is the North Equatorial Current A cold current?
Any current flowing from the equatorial region toward the polar region is des- ignated as warm; any current flowing from the polar region toward the equator is designated as cold.
What are equatorial currents caused by?
The Pacific North Equatorial Current is given a westward impetus by the Northeast Trade Winds (latitude 10°–25° N). Upon reaching the Philippines, the current divides, with the lesser part turning south and then east to start the Pacific Equatorial Countercurrent, and the greater part flowing north.
Is the North Equatorial Current near the equator?
The North Equatorial Currents (NEC) is a westward wind-driven current mostly located near the equator, but the location varies from different oceans. The NEC in the Pacific and the Atlantic is about 5°-20°N, while the NEC in Indian Ocean is very close to the equator. The NEC ranges from the sea surface down to 400 m in western Pacific.
Why are ocean currents important to the environment?
Is there an equatorial current in the Indian Ocean?
This gives birth to the Atlantic North Equatorial, which, as it crosses the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, jogs north only to bend south beyond the ridge. In the Indian Ocean the place of a north equatorial current is taken by the Monsoon Current. There is, however, an Indian South Equatorial Current.
What are the effects of the equatorial current?
The equatorial currents have similar climatic effects upon continental shores they touch, bringing warmth and higher humidity to the east coasts and dry conditions to the west. Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox!