Due to local winds (trade winds), strong streams form in the water body of the World Ocean, which flow along the equator line from its two sides, they are called appropriately - the Southern and Northern trade winds. If you look at the map, you can see that they pass without going beyond the borders of the thirty-degree parallel of north and south latitude. Let's take a closer look at the northern branch.
Short description and features
The northern trade wind (North Equatorial) current is a warm sea stream that occurs in three oceans: the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific. It originates from the Canary Current near Cape Verde. Heading northwest, it is located in the region of 10-30 ° north latitude. In winter, its speed reaches 1 knot with a resistance of 50 to 75%. But in the summer it slows down to 0.5 knots, respectively, and stability decreases to 25-50%. The current arises due to the winds of the northeast trade wind.
In the Pacific Ocean, the Northern trade winds arise due to the deviation of a powerful stream of water, which is called California. The direction is predominantly western. Near the eastern coast of the Philippines goes to Kuroshio.
But in the Indian Ocean, this current is seasonal. It occurs only in the winter season. It is formed due to northeast cyclones. It is weak in nature and runs parallel to the equator in a westerly direction.
Flow study
Modern researchers have studied the Northern trade wind and its structure. Thanks to this, they were able to identify that the water circulating masses consist of both weak streams and powerful bands, and there are also countercurrents. Academicians L. Brekhovsky and K. Fedorov several times noted that this current is capable of reversing its direction. They found out the reasons for this phenomenon: all this is due to strong vortices.
Dimensions and temperature of the Northern trade winds
From the eastern side of the Atlantic Ocean, the North Equatorial stream reaches a depth of 50 m. Closer to the west it goes to the bottom up to 150 m, in some places even up to 200 m. This phenomenon creates a longitudinal bend below the boundary of the stream.
In the Pacific Ocean, the Northern trade wind is divided into three parts. The most powerful forms the circulating water mass of Kuroshio. The average water temperature is +20 ... + 22 . However, in places it can rise even higher.
Atlantic Ocean: the first branch of the current
The northern trade winds in the Atlantic Ocean pass through the entire water area, and not far from islands such as the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas, it flows into two streams: northern and southern.
The first circulating mass was called the Antilles Current. From the place where the branching takes place, the flow is directed northward, noticeably slowing down to a speed of 0.5 knots. In December and February, it becomes more powerful and faster with a stability of 50-75%. This current washes the entire chain of the Antilles from the outside . It on the eastern periphery becomes wider and gradually fades away in the waters of the Sargasso Sea. It is this branch that gives rise to the most famous and strongest current in the Atlantic Ocean - the Gulf Stream.
The second branch of the current
The second branch of this current runs near the Lesser Antilles and not far from the coast of Guiana, connecting with Guiana. His path tends to the Strait of Florida. And before reaching it, the current washes the coast of South America. It moves at a speed of 35 to 50 miles and flows into the waters of the Caribbean Sea, resulting in the Caribbean Current.
The northern trade wind is the closure in the anticyclonic cycle of ocean currents in the Northern waters.