How Ocean Currents Workby Jennifer HortonBrowse the article How Ocean Currents WorkOcean Current Image GalleryOcean Current Image Gallery Large waves like this one often generate powerful ocean currents !ee more ocean current picturesConnie Coleman"Getty ImagesUp Next How #ip Currents Work How $loo%s Work How much water is there on &arth' How %o they measure sea level' Curiositycomt( Oceanography )u**lesIntroduction to How Ocean Currents WorkIf you+ve ever lost your hat or a pair of sunglasses in the ocean, then you know that the sea %oesn+t stay still If you %i%n+t retrieve the lost item imme%iately, it was likely well on its way to the other si%e of the worl%, carrie% away by ocean currentsWhen speaking of water, the wor% current refers to the motion of the water Currents are foun% in rivers, pon%s, marshes an% even swimming pools $ew bo%ies of water have the intricate system of currents that oceans %o, though #anging from pre%ictable ti%al currents tofickle rip currents, ocean currents may be %riven by ti%es, win%s or %ifferences in %ensity -hey profoun%ly affect the weather, marine transportation an% the cycling of nutrientsHow e.actly' /mong other things, ocean currents are responsible for the warmer temperatures in Western &urope, they enable the /ntarctic to support vast amounts of plant an% animal life an% their %isruption likely cause% a mass e.tinction of 01 percent of all marine life 213 million years ago 4source( 5O//( 6Ocean67 One type of ocean current even continually empties oceans into one another an% essentially flips the water in them upsi%e %own every 8,333 years 4source( 5O//( 6Ocean679nowle%ge of ocean currents is essential to the shipping an% fishing in%ustries an% is helpful for search:an%:rescue operations, ha*ar%ous material cleanups an% recreational swimming an% boating ;sing a combination of pre%icte% an% real:time measurements of current patterns, boaters can safely %ock an% un%ock boats, rescuers can %etermine where a missing person may %rift, cleanup crews can anticipate where spills might go an% surfers can position themselves to catch the perfect waveWhether you want to learn more about local currents, like the ones that pull you out to sea when you visit the beach, or the global currents that circumnavigate the globe, this article willanswer all of your basic 2? feetA of water, how are %eeper ocean currents forme%' $in% out on the ne.t pageCurrent CatastrophesBefore much was known about ocean currents, sailors woul% stop their boats for the night only to wake up e.tremely confuse% when they foun% themselves miles away from where they stoppe% -he Gulf !tream is one current that presente% these ancient mariners with manychallenges -his especially powerful current is 8E0 miles @2E3 kilometersA wi%e an% almost 8 mile @8FA kilometers %eep an% can move up to 2F billion gallons of water a secon% 4source( Osher7 -hat+s more than the flow of the /ma*on #iverG 4source( =!5 &ncarta7 -he current has cause% so many shipwrecks aroun% Cape Hatteras, a piece of lan% that Duts out sharply from the east coast of 5orth Carolina, that the area is calle% the graveyar% of the /tlantic-he global conveyor beltHow!tuffWorksUp Next How #ip Currents Work How $loo%s Work How much water is there on &arth' How %o they measure sea level' Curiositycomt( Oceanography )u**les)eep Ocean Currents *Glo%al Con$eyor Belt+Invisible to us terrestrial creatures, an un%erwater current circles the globe with a force 8F times as strong as all the worl%+s rivers combine% 4source( 5O//( 6Ocean67 -his %eep:watercurrent is known as the glo%al con$eyor %elt an% is %riven by %ensity %ifferences in the water Water movements %riven by %ifferences in %ensity are also known as thermohaline circulation because water %ensity %epen%s on its temperature @thermoA an% salinity @halineA)ensity refers to an obDect+s mass per unit volume, or how compact it is / heavy, compact bowling ball is obviously going to be %enser than an air:fille% beach ball With water, col%er an% saltier e