Ocean Currents

Ocean currents are driven by a range of sources: the wind, tides, changes in water density, and the rotation of the Earth. The topography of the ocean floor and the shoreline modifies those motions, causing currents to speed up, slow down, or change direction. Ocean currents fall into two main categories: surface currents and deep ocean currents. Surface currents control the motion of the top 10 per cent of the ocean's water, while deep-ocean currents mobilize the other 90 per cent. Though they have different causes, surface and deep ocean currents influence each other in an intricate dance that keeps the entire ocean moving. Near the shore, surface currents are driven by both the wind and tides, which draw water back and forth as the water level falls and rises. Meanwhile, in the open ocean, wind is the major force behind surface currents. As wind blows over the ocean, it drags the top layers of water along with it. That moving water pulls on the layers underneath, and those pull on the ones beneath them.