Ocean Currents' Direction

[Guest learner17]

Hello,

I am new and couldn't figure out where to post so I decided to post here. Sorry if it was the wrong one.

 

Question: Due to the Earth spinning, the ocean currents of the Norther Hemisphere of the Earth are supposed to circle in a clock-wise direction, for example, The Gulf Stream. But what I do not understand is that why do some currents go in the opposite direction. For example, the Greenland Current.

Please explain this to me.

 

Thank You

[Douglas]

Apparently the Coriolis effect influences the direction of currents, however, I think the wind, variations in surface sea temperature, and the coastline attributes influence the direction of currents. The Florida current flows North along the coastline up to about S Carolina, the Labrador current flows South to around Cape Cod in Ma.

[Ophiolite]

This post from another ocean current thread may help.

http://www.scienceforums.net/forums/showpost.php?p=146094&postcount=16

Douglas has accurately noted some other influences on ocean currents. An important one is density. I think (and this is just an educated guess - I have not checked it) the dense cold water from the melting Greenland ice cap moves south (since there isn't really anywhere else to go) until it bludgeons into the warmer northward flowing current.

Have you tried googling ["Labarador current" origins]?

[Douglas]

Interestingly enough, the labrador current is cold water heading south to warmer waters, and the Florida current is warm water heading north to colder waters.

[coquina]

Hello' date='

I am new and couldn't figure out where to post so I decided to post here. Sorry if it was the wrong one.

 

Question: Due to the Earth spinning, the ocean currents of the Norther Hemisphere of the Earth are supposed to circle in a clock-wise direction, for example, The Gulf Stream. But what I do not understand is that why do some currents go in the opposite direction. For example, the Greenland Current.

Please explain this to me.

 

Thank You [/quote']

 

There is a really good explanation of the hydrologic cycle, including ocean currents and their movements (ya gotta read all the way to the end) here:

http://www.indiana.edu/~geol105/1425chap4.htm

[Douglas]

There is a really good explanation of the hydrologic cycle' date=' including ocean currents and their movements (ya gotta read all the way to the end) here:

http://www.indiana.edu/~geol105/1425chap4.htm[/quote']Interesting article......yup, I read the whole thing.

[Guest learner17]

Thanks for the answers.