Climate & weather · World Atlas
Ocean currents of the world
The planet's heat engine — pressure, wind and water — and the weather it throws off.
Numbered as on the map
The 16 on the map
1. Agulhas Current
open ocean
Known forThe southern hemisphere's strongest western boundary current
The strongest western boundary current in the southern hemisphere.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
2. Antarctic Circumpolar Current
open ocean
Known forThe only current that circles the earth unobstructed
The only current that circles the earth unobstructed — and the reason Antarctica froze.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
3. Benguela Current
open ocean
Known forThe current that makes the Namib
The reason the Namib exists, and one of the great upwelling fisheries.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
4. Brazil Current
open ocean
Known forIt meets the Falkland Current at a very sharp front
A warm current running south down the South American coast, the western limb of the South Atlantic gyre. It meets the cold Falkland Current off the Plate estuary, one of the sharpest ocean fronts anywhere.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
5. California Current
open ocean
Known forCool foggy summers, and the Baja deserts downwind
Cool, foggy summers on the US west coast; the Baja deserts downwind.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
6. Canary Current
open ocean
Known forIt cools West Africa and dries the western Sahara
Cools the West African coast and dries the western Sahara.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
7. East Australian Current
open ocean
Known forIt carries tropical larvae onto the Great Barrier Reef
A warm current running south down Australia’s east coast, the western limb of the South Pacific gyre. It keeps Sydney mild and carries tropical larvae onto the Great Barrier Reef.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
8. Falkland Current
open ocean
Known forThe cold half of the Plata convergence
Meets the Brazil Current off the Plata — a major convergence.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
9. Gulf Stream
open ocean
Known forCaribbean heat, carried to north-west Europe
Carries Caribbean heat north-east; becomes the North Atlantic Drift.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
10. Humboldt (Peru) Current
open ocean
Known forIt makes the Atacama and feeds the anchoveta
Makes the Atacama, feeds the anchoveta fishery, and is the current El Niño interrupts.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
11. Kuroshio
open ocean
Known forThe Pacific's Gulf Stream
The Pacific’s Gulf Stream; the Oyashio meets it off Honshu.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
12. Labrador Current
open ocean
Known forIt meets the Gulf Stream, and makes the Grand Banks fog
Meets the Gulf Stream off Newfoundland — the fog and the Grand Banks fishery.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
13. North Atlantic Drift
open ocean
Known forWhy Norwegian ports are ice-free at Labrador's latitude
Keeps north-west European ports ice-free at the latitude of Labrador.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
14. North Equatorial Current
open ocean
Known forThe trade-wind limb that feeds the Kuroshio
A cold-to-cool current driven west by the trade winds on the northern side of each ocean, the equatorward limb of the subtropical gyres. It feeds the Kuroshio and the Gulf Stream at the western boundaries.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
15. Oyashio
open ocean
Known forThe cold Kurile current, and the north Pacific fishery
The cold Kurile current — its meeting with the Kuroshio is the north Pacific fishery.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water
16. Somali Current
open ocean
Known forThe one major current that reverses with the monsoon
The one major current that reverses with the monsoon.
Settingcold eastern-boundary water