What is Gulf Stream?

The Gulf Stream, one of the most conspicuous ocean currents in the worlds, is a large current of tropical water that flows northward along the east coast of North America. This current brings warmer temperature and moisture to the eastern coast of North America and especially to the countries of Norther Europe.

The Gulf Stream is part of a vast circular swirl of water, called a gyre, that encircles the North Atlantic. Easterly trade winds set a large volume of westward-flowing water in motion just south of the Tropic of Cancer. This is known as the North Equatorial current. As this current nears the Americas, it bends northward and separates into 2 branches. One branch, flowing into the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of the Mexico, is called the Florida current. The other branch flows just east of the Caribbean island and is known as the Antilles current. These two currents reunite just north of the Bahamas where the merge to become the Gulf Stream.

The Gulf Stream flow northward along eastern North America to about 45 degrees north. There it turns eastward and flows toward Europe. At this stage the stream is known as the North Atlantic Drift. As it approaches the coast of Europe, some of this water flow southward as the Canaries current to join with the North Equatorial current and continue as part of this vast water circulation.

The average width of this broad ocean current is 60 to 100 miles (95-160 km). The stream is a combination of small current and eddies, with the volume of water perhaps 1000 times greater that of the Mississippi river. It flows at about 3-6 mile (5-10 km) an hour and often changes direction. It sometimes forms huge loops. At times these loops are cut-off from the major current and remain as warm course of water in the colder Atlantic.

Early explorers observed and charted the Gulf Stream and its branches. Columbus was probably speeded in his journey to the New World by the North Equatorial Current. Ponce de Leon was one of the first to record correctly the movements of the Florida current. In 1770, Benjamin Franklin prepared the first accurate chart of the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift to help speed male packets (ships) sailing for Europe.

As the Gulf Stream turns eastward off the coast of North America, it meets the cold Labrador current flowing southward out of the Arctic Ocean. The mixing of water along the margins of these currents stirs up the sediments of the Ocean floor and enriches the mineral content of the water. This provides food for tiny plant and animal life, which serve as food for great number of fish. The meeting place of these two great currents has always provide important fishing ground for the people of Europe and North America.