82 PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY.

 

 

(4.) A separation of these latter currents into
two branches (f, g and h, 7), one continuing toward

a—Equator.

 

Fig. 78. Chart of Constant Currents,

- the poles, and the other toward the equator, where
they join with the equatorial currents, thus com-
pleting a circuit in the shape of a vast ellipse ;

(5.) A flow of the Arctic waters along the
western border of the ocean (j), and of the Ant-
arctic along the eastern (k).

Since the Indian Ocean is completely closed on the
north, only part of the above movements are observed.

In the Pacific, an equatorial counter-current crosses the
ocean from west to east.

223. Currents of the Atlantic—The equatorial
current crosses the ocean, from east to west, in
two branches: a south equatorial current, which
comes from the Antarctic, and a north equatorial
current, which comes mainly from regions north
of the equator.

The north equatorial current flows along the
northern coast of South America, and, separating,
part of it enters the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of
Mexico, and part flows north, passing east of the
Bahamas.

The Gulf Stream flows along the eastern coast
of North America, with a velocity of from four to
five miles per hour, and in mid-ocean, between
Newfoundland and Spain, divides, one branch
flowing toward Norway, Spitzbergen, and Nova
Zembla, the other flowing southward, down the
coasts of Africa, where it forms the main feeder
of the north equatorial current.

The south equatorial current, after crossing the
| ocean, flows south along the Brazilian Goast, and
| divides near Rio Janeiro, the main part flowing
,eastward and mingling with the Antarctic cur-
\vent, and the remainder continuing down the east-

 

 

 

ern coast of South America. Cold currents from
the Arctic flow down the coasts of Greenland and
Labrador. A broad polar current sweeps from
the Antarctic Ocean, and forms the main feeder
of the south equatorial current, but passes in
greater part eastward, south of Africa’

A small elliptical current flows near the equator,
between the north and south equatorial currents.

224. Currents of the Pacific—North and south
equatorial currents flow from east to west, and
between them a smaller, less powerful equatorial
counter-current, from west to east. The south
equatorial current, fed by the broad Antarctic
current, is the larger of the two.

The-north equatorial current, on reaching the
Philippine Islands, divides into northern and
southern branches; a portion of its southern
branch returns with the equatorial counter-cur-
rent, while the northern branch, the main por-
tion, flows north-east along the Asiatic coast as
the Kuro Sivo, the counterpart of the Gulf
Stream. At about Lat. 50°, this flows east-
wardly as a North Pacific current, and off the
shores of North America it returns, in an ellip-
tical path, southerly to the north equatorial cur-
rent, forming its main feeder. A small current
flows through the eastern side of Bering Strait,
into the Arctic Ocean.

The south equatorial ewrrent of the Pacific is
broken into numerous branches during its passage
through the islands in mid-ocean. Reaching the
Australian continent and the neighboring archi-
pelagoes, it sends small streams toward the north,
but the main portion flows south, along the Aus-
tralian coast, when, flowing eastward, it merges
with the cold Antarctic current.

The Antarctic current moves as a broad belt
of water toward the north-east, when, flowing up
the western coast of South America, it turns to
the west, and forms the main feeder of the south
equatorial current. A part of the Antarctic cur-
rent flows eastward, south of South America, and
enters the Atlantic as the Cape Horn current.

A small cold current from the Arctic flows
through Bering Strait, down the Asiatic coast,

225. Currents of the Indian Ocean.—Only a
south equatorial current exists, which flows down
the eastern and western coasts of Madagascar, and
down the African. coast to Cape Agulhas, when,
turning eastward, it merges with the Antarctic
current, and flows up the western coast of Aus-
tralia, where it joins the equatorial current.