What happens to the warm Gulf Stream. Warm Gulf Stream

E. Volodin, Ph.D. physics and mathematics Sci.

Rumors persist about a weakening of the Gulf Stream, which is either due to an oil leak in the Gulf of Mexico, or due to severe melting arctic ice, and that this threatens us with unheard-of climatic catastrophes, right up to the onset of a new ice age. Letters are coming to the editor asking for clarification on whether the warm current will really disappear soon. Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Sciences Evgeniy Volodin, leading researcher at the Institute, answers readers’ questions computational mathematics RAS.

Rice. 1. Anomaly (deviation) of surface temperature in September-November 2010 compared to September-November 1970-2009. Data from NCEP (National Centers for Environmental Prediction, USA).

Rice. 2. Difference in ocean surface temperatures in June 2010 and June 2009. GODAS data.

Rice. 3. Difference in ocean surface temperatures in September-November 2010 and September-November 2009. GODAS data.

Rice. 4. Current speeds in June 2010 at a depth of 50 m, according to GODAS data. The arrows indicate the direction, the color indicates the speed (m/s).

The Gulf Stream is a warm current in the Gulf of Mexico that bends around Florida, flowing along east coast USA to approximately 37 degrees north latitude. and then breaks away from the coast to the east. Similar trends exist in Pacific Ocean- Kuroshio, and in Southern Hemisphere. The uniqueness of the Gulf Stream is that after separation from American coast it does not turn back to the subtropics, but partially penetrates into high latitudes, where it is already called the North Atlantic Current. It is thanks to him that in the north of the Atlantic the temperature is 5-10 degrees higher than at similar latitudes in the Pacific Ocean or in the Southern Hemisphere. For the same reason North hemisphere in general a little warmer than the South.

The primary reason for the unusual nature of the North Atlantic is that slightly more water evaporates over the Atlantic than falls as precipitation. Over the Pacific Ocean, on the contrary, precipitation slightly exceeds evaporation. Therefore, on average, water in the Atlantic is somewhat saltier than in the Pacific Ocean, which means it is heavier than the fresher Pacific water, and therefore it tends to sink to the bottom. This happens especially intensely in the north Atlantic, where the salty water is also made heavier by cooling on the surface. In place of the water that has sank into the depths of the North Atlantic, water comes from the south, this is the North Atlantic Current.

Thus, the causes of the North Atlantic Current are global, and are unlikely to be significantly affected by such a local event as an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. According to the most pessimistic estimates, the area of ​​the oil spill is one hundred thousand square kilometers, while the area Atlantic Ocean slightly less than one hundred million square kilometers (that is, a thousand times more spots). According to the NCEP atmospheric reanalysis data (National Centers for Environmental Prediction, USA) - synthesized data from satellites, ground-based observation stations, soundings, “assimilated” by the atmospheric dynamics model (NCEP's Global Forecast System - GFS), there is nothing wrong with the warm currents of the North Atlantic hasn't happened yet. Take a look at the map compiled from this data (Figure 1). In September-November 2010, the deviation of surface temperature in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as in that part of the Atlantic where the Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Current pass, from the average value in the same months of 1970-2009 does not exceed one degree Celsius. Only in the northwest Atlantic, in the region of the cold Labrador Current, do these anomalies reach two to three degrees. But even this magnitude of seasonal anomalies is quite common and is observed in one region or another almost every year.

Reports that the Gulf Stream between the 76th and 47th meridians in 2010 became colder by 10 degrees Celsius are also not confirmed. As follows from GODAS data (Global Ocean Data Assimilation System - a system for assimilation of all available observational data - satellites, ships, buoys, etc. - using an ocean dynamics model), average temperature ocean surface in June 2010 between approximately 40 and 70 degrees west. was lower than in June 2009, by only one or two degrees, and only in one place - by almost three degrees (Fig. 2). But such temperature anomalies are well within the framework of natural variability. They are usually accompanied by "outliers" of a different sign in nearby ocean areas, which is what happened in the summer of 2010, according to GODAS data. So if they were averaged over the entire North Atlantic, the average temperature deviation was close to zero. In addition, such phenomena usually last for several months, and in the fall the negative anomaly was no longer visible (Fig. 3).

The existence of the Gulf Stream is well confirmed by GODAS data on horizontal speeds currents at a depth of 50 m, averaged for June 2010. The map compiled from this data (Fig. 4) shows that the Gulf Stream, as always, flows through the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida and along the eastern coast of the United States. Then it breaks away from the shore, becomes wider, and at the same time the speed of the current drops (as it should be), that is, nothing unusual can be traced. According to GODAS, the Gulf Stream flows in approximately the same way in other months of 2010. Note that 50 m is the most typical depth at which the Gulf Stream is best visible. For example, surface currents may differ from those at a depth of 50 m, most often due to the influence of wind.

However, there have been cases in history when events similar to those described in the now widespread “horror stories” occurred. The last such event occurred about 14 thousand years ago. Then it ended glacial period, and on the territory North America The melted ice formed a huge lake, dammed by a glacier that had not yet melted. But the ice continued to melt, and at some point, water from the lake began to flow into the North Atlantic, desalinizing it and thereby preventing the sinking of the water and the North Atlantic Current. As a result, Europe has become noticeably colder, especially in winter. But then, according to existing estimates, the impact on climate system was huge, because the fresh water flow was about 10 6 m 3 /s. This is more than an order of magnitude higher than, for example, the current flow of all Russian rivers.

Another important point which I would like to emphasize: average seasonal anomalies atmospheric circulation V temperate latitudes depend to a very small extent on ocean surface temperature anomalies, including such large ones as were observed this summer in European Russia. Experts in seasonal weather forecasting claim that only 10-30% of deviations from the “norm” of the average seasonal temperature at any point in Russia are due to ocean surface temperature anomalies, and the remaining 70-90% are the result of natural atmospheric variability, the root cause of which is unequal heating high and low latitudes and which is almost impossible to predict for more than two to three weeks (see also “Science and Life” No. 12, 2010).

That is why it is wrong to consider the observed weather anomalies in Europe in the summer of 2010 or in any other season to be the result of only the influence of the ocean. If this were the case, seasonal or monthly weather deviations from the “norm” would be easily predicted, since large ocean temperature anomalies tend to be inertial and last at least several months. But so far no forecasting center in the world has been able to produce a good seasonal weather forecast.

If we talk specifically about the causes of the anomaly in the summer of 2010 in Russia, it was caused by the interaction of two coincidentally coinciding factors: a blocking anticyclone, which caused the transfer of air to the central regions of Russia mainly from the east-southeast, and soil drought in the Volga region and the Urals, which allowed the spreading air not to waste heat on evaporating water from the surface. As a result, the increase in air temperature at the surface was truly unprecedented over the entire observation period. However, the probability of the occurrence of a blocking anticyclone and soil drought in the Volga region depends little on ocean surface temperature anomalies, including in the Gulf Stream region.

(as it is, in particular, noted on geographical maps). In a broad sense, the Gulf Stream is often referred to as a system of warm currents in the North Atlantic Ocean from Florida to the Scandinavian Peninsula, Spitsbergen, the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean.

The Gulf Stream is a powerful jet current 70-90 km wide, spreading from maximum speed up to several meters per second top layer ocean, rapidly decreasing with depth (up to 10-20 cm/s at depths of 1000-1500 m). The total flow of water in the current is of the order of 0.1 km³/s. The water flow of the Gulf Stream is about 50 million cubic meters of water every second, which is 20 times more than the flow of all the world's rivers combined.

On its way to Europe, the Gulf Stream loses most of its energy due to evaporation, cooling and numerous side branches that reduce the main flow, however, it still delivers enough heat to Europe to create a mild climate unusual for its latitudes.

Gulf Stream disruption

Flow instability

Hypothesis about the connection between climate change and disturbances in the Gulf Stream

Considering the influence of the Gulf Stream on the climate, it is assumed that in the short-term historical perspective a climate catastrophe associated with disruption of the flow is possible. It has long been one of Hollywood’s favorite themes that, due to global warming and the melting of northern glaciers, waters are desalinated, and since the Gulf Stream is formed by the interaction of salt and fresh water, Europe stops heating and an ice age begins (see the film The Day After Tomorrow).

Historical data

In support of the fundamental possibility of such a catastrophe, data on catastrophic climate changes that occurred on our planet previously are provided. Including available evidence of the Little Ice Age or analysis of Greenland ice.

World Warming

It is also believed that disruption of the flow may be a result of global warming. Since salinity has a significant influence on the dynamics of the current ocean water, decreasing due to melting ice. It is also possible that the effect of the decreasing temperature difference between the pole and the equator increases

Validity of the hypothesis

Currently, there is no sufficiently substantiated data on the influence of the above factors on climate. There are also directly opposite opinions. In particular, according to Doctor of Geographical Sciences, oceanologist Bondarenko A.L., “The operating mode of the Gulf Stream will not change”. This is argued by the fact that no actual water transfer occurs, that is, the flow is a Rossby wave. Therefore, no sudden and catastrophic climate changes in Europe will occur.

The journal Nature published the results of a study by scientists at the Potsdam Institute for Research on Climate Change and Its Consequences, led by professor of ocean physics Stefan Rahmstorff. The main conclusion of this study is that the circulation of water in the oceans is slowing down and that one of the consequences of this may be a slowdown of the Gulf Stream. This in turn will lead to many disasters. Cold winters in Europe and severely rising water levels that will threaten major coastal cities on the US East Coast such as New York and Boston. According to their data, the Gulf Stream, which brings a mild climate to Northern Europe and favorable conditions for residents of the southeastern United States, slows down the most at a fast pace over the last 1000 years.

Professor Stefan Rahmstorf: “What is immediately apparent is that one particular area in the North Atlantic has been cooling over the last hundred years, while the rest of the world has been warming. We now find compelling evidence that the global pipeline has indeed been weakening over the last hundred years, especially since 1970.”

Data obtained by scientists confirms that as global temperatures rise due to climate change, areas that are warmed by the Gulf Stream are showing a drop in temperature, especially in winter period. The influx of warm water from the equator, which flows through the Gulf of Mexico, across the ocean, and then up the western side of Great Britain and Norway, contributes to warm climate in Northern Europe. This makes winter conditions in much of northern Europe significantly milder than they would normally be, protecting these regions from large quantity snow and ice during the winter months.

Now, researchers have discovered that the water in the North Atlantic Ocean is colder than predicted. computer models previously. According to their calculations, between 1900 and 1970, 8,000 cubic kilometers of fresh water entered the Atlantic Ocean from Greenland. In addition, the same source “gave” an additional 13,000 cubic kilometers between 1970 and 2000. This fresh water has a lower density than salty ocean and tends to float on the surface, disturbing the balance of the huge current.

In the 90s, circulation began to recover, but the recovery turned out to be temporary. Now there is a new weakening, possibly due to the rapid melting of the Greenland ice sheet.

IN this moment circulation is 15-20% weaker than one or two decades ago. At first glance, this is not so much. But on the other hand, scientists say, this has not happened on Earth for at least 1100 years, approximately since 900. It is also alarming that the weakening of circulation is occurring faster than the rate predicted by scientists.

Researchers believe that the onset of the Little Ice Age around 1300 was associated precisely with the slowdown of the Gulf Stream. In the 1310s Western Europe, judging by the chronicles, survived the present ecological disaster. After traditionally warm summer 1311 followed by four gloomy and rainy summer 1312-1315. Heavy rains and unusually harsh winters led to the destruction of several crops and the freezing of orchards in England, Scotland, northern France and Germany. In Scotland and northern Germany, viticulture and wine production ceased. Winter frosts began to strike even northern Italy. F. Petrarch and G. Boccaccio recorded that in the 14th century. snow often fell in Italy.

In 2009-10, American scientists already recorded a sudden increase in water levels in the Atlantic off the east coast of America by 10 cm. Then the current weakening of the circulation was just beginning. If it weakens sharply, the water level may rise by 1 meter. Moreover, we're talking about only about an increase due to weakening of circulation. To this meter should also be added the rise in water that is expected from global warming.

Scientists have calculated that the warm Gulf Stream current is so powerful that it carries more water than all the rivers on the planet combined. Despite all its power, it is only one, albeit large, component global process thermohaline, i.e. temperature-salty, water circulation. Its key components are located in the North Atlantic, where the Gulf Stream flows. That is why it plays such an important role in shaping the climate on the planet.

The Gulf Stream carries warm water north into colder waters. At the Great Newfoundland Bank it turns into the North Atlantic Current, which influences the weather in Europe. This current moves further north until the cold waters with increased salt content go to greater depths due to their increased density. Then it's on great depth moving in the opposite direction, to the south. The Gulf Stream and the North Atlantic Current play a decisive role in climate formation because they transport warm water to the north and cold water to the south, to the tropics, i.e. constantly mixes the water between ocean pools.

If too much ice melts in the North Atlantic, say in Greenland, desalination occurs cold salty water. Reducing the salt content in water reduces its density, and it rises to the surface.

This process can slow down and eventually even stop thermohaline circulation. What could happen in this case, director Roland Emmerich tried to show in science fiction movie“The Day After Tomorrow” (2004). In his version, a new ice age began on Earth, which provoked disasters and led to chaos on a planetary scale.

Scientists reassure: if this happens, it will not be very soon. Nevertheless, global warming really slows down circulation. One consequence, notes Stefan Rahmstorf, could be rising Atlantic Ocean levels off the east coast of the United States and significantly colder winters in Europe.

The Gulf Stream is the most famous ocean current that flows across the sea rather than on land. But the Gulf Stream is so large that its mass is greater than all rivers flowing on land!

The Gulf Stream moves north along the east coast of the United States, across the North Atlantic Ocean, reaching northwest Europe. The color of the Gulf Stream - bright blue - contrasts with the greenish and gray water of the ocean through which it passes.

It begins its journey in the Atlantic Ocean near the equator. Surface water movement or "drift" occurs in a westerly direction, so the Gulf Stream initially heads north of South America to the Caribbean Sea. It is only when it turns north and moves along the east coast of the United States that it becomes the Gulf Stream.

Since the Gulf Stream originated in a warm part of the world, it is a flow of warm water. The influx of a huge mass of warm water brings significant changes to the climate of many regions!

Here are some amazing examples: winds passing through the Gulf Stream into northern Europe (where it is called the North Atlantic Stream) bring heat to Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland and Belgium. As a result, it is warmer here in winter than in other areas located at the same latitude. For the same reason, seaports on the Norwegian coast are ice-free all year round.

Thanks to the Gulf Stream, winters in Paris and London are warmer than in southern Labrador, where winters are very cold. Winds passing over the Gulf Stream become warm and humid. When such winds cool down, such as when approaching Newfoundland, thick fog forms. This is why there are the famous fogs on the Grand Bank in the Newfoundland area.

The Gulf Stream does not have such an effect on winter temperatures in North America, as in Europe, since the winds blow towards Europe.

What causes ocean currents?

There are huge masses of water in the sea that are constantly moving. Their circulation is very complex, since there are many other factors that force the water to move. One of them is that dense water sinks down, and lighter water rises.

The densest water in the ocean is cold and salty. She becomes like this when sea ​​water freezes in the Arctic Ocean and near Antarctica. The ice resulting from this freezing contains very little salt. The cold, salty water remaining after ice formation sinks into the depths of the sea.

The saltiest water in the ocean is found in the tropical regions. This water is very warm and therefore not as dense as the cold and less salty water underneath. It remains on the surface of the ocean. Salt water moves with the help of winds.

Sometimes winds and shore contours link moving bodies of water together. The water is forced to flow faster, creating a current. Currents resemble rivers in the sea. The most famous current is the Gulf Stream, which was discovered by Benjamin Franklin. The Gulf Stream begins in the Atlantic Ocean near the equator.

The constant winds near the equator almost always blow from the east. They drive warm salt water past the Caribbean islands into the huge bay formed by the Florida peninsula and the east coast of the United States. The water accumulates here and then flows north to Cape Hatteras.

Here the Gulf Stream becomes narrow and flows quickly. Its speed is several kilometers per hour. The current here is less than 16 kilometers wide and about 550 meters deep. Like a river on earth, the Gulf Stream does not flow strictly straight, but meanders along the ocean surface. But, unlike a river, the Gulf Stream is not always in the same place, since it does not have a specific course.

Many surface currents, such as the Gulf Stream, have several other currents underneath them. They are called countercurrents. They are moving in opposite direction, but along the same path as the main surface flow.

The rotation of the Earth around its axis also affects the formation of currents.

The warm Gulf Stream is a global phenomenon that influences the formation of the climate on the entire planet and is especially important for moderating the climate of Western European countries, in particular the British Isles and the northern shores of the Scandinavian Peninsula.
The Gulf Stream was discovered at the beginning of the 16th century. Spanish navigators, and at first they called it Florida. In the era of the sailing fleet, routes between Europe and the New World were built with the help of trade winds, westerly winds and corresponding currents, whose location on the map was not in doubt. At first the Gulf Stream was something like sea ​​legends: those who constantly came across this current along their route knew about it. Many experienced captains have learned to use its power by moving with the current, or to cross the current in time when they should have gone in the opposite direction. But they were in no hurry to share their knowledge with competitors, considering the secret of the Gulf Stream their “intellectual property”, which gives them an advantage at sea.
The outstanding American scientist was the first to explore this current, put it on a map in 1769 (using the advice of his cousin, the captain of a whaling ship), and assigned it the “popular” name Gulf Stream (English: “golf” - bay, “stream” - current). And public figure Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). Franklin, having a wide range of interests, was convinced that science must be useful. In particular, the purpose of studying the current was to compile the optimal route for postal ships.
Until the 20th century people had the most general ideas about nature ocean currents. In the days of sailing ships, it was believed that surface currents were formed only by winds: for example, tropical trade winds, blowing steadily from the east, drive waves in a westerly direction, forming trade wind currents. In the temperate latitudes of the Southern Hemisphere and in the subpolar “roaring forties” in the north, westerly winds blow. But why do the southern trade winds deviate to the west and the northern trade winds to the east? Later, physicists will complement the intuitive observations of sailors with a theory: tropical trade winds (winds) are accelerated by the force of the Earth's rotation, the winds create surface currents in the upper 45 m of the ocean, but under the influence of physical laws, the currents move at an angle to the direction of the wind. Because of this, the current system in the Northern Hemisphere in general outline resembles a grandiose spiral moving clockwise (and the Gulf Stream is one of the key links in this chain), and in the Southern Hemisphere a similar spiral twists a ring of currents counterclockwise (there are a total of five main oceanic cycles in the world). At the same time, the contours of the continents also have a great influence on the trajectory of surface jet currents locally. But that’s not all: the occurrence of currents is now explained by the combined action of Coriolis forces (rotational acceleration that deflects an object moving on a rotating disk along the radius in the direction opposite to rotation), differences in temperature and salinity of water, and fluctuations atmospheric pressure and interaction with the moving atmosphere; currents are divided into drift (caused by winds), gradient and tidal (in addition, the ocean tends to form synoptic eddies, seiches and tsunamis)…
In general, a complex multilayer circulation of a closed system of ocean currents, warm surface and cold deep, constantly occurs in the World Ocean, whose general scheme under the code name “Global Ocean Conveyor” was proposed in the 1980s. American oceanographer Wallace Brocker. But the question of the circulation of the atmosphere and waters of the World Ocean still remains incompletely studied.
In a narrow sense, the “Current from the Bay” is that section of a wide powerful stream carrying its warm waters from south to north along the east coast of North America, which starts from the Straits of Florida and ends at the Newfoundland Bank.
It is this current that is designated on geographic maps as the Gulf Stream. It then divides into branches, and one branch turns back to the tropics, while the other changes curvature and goes into the North Atlantic (North Atlantic Current).
Ocean currents of such a scale as the trade winds, Western Winds, Gulf Stream and Kuroshiro largely determine not only the conditions of navigation and fishing, but also the climate of the continents, so they are often compared to the pulse of the planet. But even more often they are compared to rivers.
If you imagine the Gulf Stream as a river and use the appropriate terms, then this “river” is formed near the Bahamas by the confluence of two “tributaries”: the Florida Current (a continuation of the Yucatan Current flowing from Caribbean Sea between Cuba and Yucatan), a powerful stream emerging through the narrow strait between Cuba and Florida, and the Antilles Current. The North Trade Wind Current pushes excess water into the Caribbean Sea. The Gulf Stream gains most of its heat by warming up in the Gulf of Mexico - this is one of the most warm reservoirs on the ground.
Then the current goes in a narrow strip along the coast to the level of North Carolina and there it leaves coastal zone, heading to open ocean in a northeast direction.
Along its path, the flow forms vortices along the edges, which from time to time break away from the main stream and form branches - “sleeves”. Having reached the shallows of the Great Newfoundland Bank, the Gulf Stream deviates even more to the east and rushes across the North Atlantic towards Europe, changing its name to the North Atlantic Current. But before this, part of the flow manages to separate, turning north, towards Iceland (Irminger Current) and Greenland, into the Labrador Basin; then they are picked up by the Labrador Current, closing the ring. Another “arm” deviates from the main stream to the south, reaching along the Portuguese coast to Mediterranean Sea, where it is picked up and enclosed in a ring by the Canary Current.
Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Current (the central continuation of the Gulf Stream), having reached the British Isles and Scandinavia, significantly softens the climate there: average temperatures there differ from latitudinal norms by 5-6 and 10-15 degrees, respectively.
Off the northern coast of the Scandinavian Peninsula, the current has local names - Norwegian and North Cape. Traces of the Gulf Stream are found even in the Arctic Ocean: its residual heat “warms up” the port of Murmansk on Kola Peninsula, thanks to which navigation there is possible all year round, even when Arkhangelsk, located further south on the White Sea, is locked in ice.
What and where does the Gulf Stream carry with it? Water (although one of modern theories states that currents have a cyclical nature of wave dynamics and do not transport matter). Warmth, significantly softening the climate of Western and Northern Europe. Kinetic energy, which they have recently begun to try to capture using devices like windmills and use for economic needs. sea ​​turtles and eels, helping them on their grand migration. The current in a certain area has important navigational significance, accelerating the movement of ships. In general, the current picks up and carries everything that comes in its way, and this is not always good: it carries with it a lot of algae, oil, harmful waste (chemical fertilizers from plantations), and so on.
The Gulf Stream may deviate from its route, but stopping it powerful current, which arose after the closure of the Isthmus of Panama about 3 million years ago, is in principle impossible. But the same cannot be said about the North Atlantic Current: it depends on many “variables,” and its strong weakening, known as the Dansgaard-Oeschger oscillation, has been observed 17 times over the past 60 thousand years. If the weakened North Atlantic Current turns entirely south towards Africa, this could become a real disaster for Western and Northern Europe.

general information

The drainage current of the Gulf of Mexico, which has a moderating effect on the climate of Northern and Western Europe.
Location: North Atlantic, flows along the east coast of North America from the Straits of Florida to the island of Newfoundland.

Covers countries: USA.

Detection time: XVI century (Spanish sailors).

First explorer and cartographer: Benjamin Franklin in 1768-1770. and later.
Precursor currents: Florida and Antilles.

Branch currents: Irminger, West Greenland, North Atlantic and its branches.

Numbers

Gulf Stream at the exit to the ocean from the Straits of Florida

Stream width: about 75 km.
Flow thickness: 700-800 m.

Average water consumption: 25 million m 3 /s (this is 20 times the flow of all rivers).

Average current speed: 9-10 km/h.

: +24-28°C.

Salinity: 36.0-36.9%o (at the surface).

Maximum water flow: up to 85 million m 3 /s (after connecting with the Antilles Current).

In the Great Newfoundland Bank area

Flow width: up to 200 km.

Average current speed: 3-4 km/h.

Surface water temperature: +10-20°С.

Salinity: about 35%o (at the surface).
Maximum length(if you count to Spitsbergen): up to 10 thousand km.

Climate and weather

The Gulf Stream has a huge influence on the climate of the North Atlantic Ocean and the adjacent part of the North Arctic Ocean, as well as on the climate of Europe, creating very mild for northern latitudes conditions.

Average January temperatures: due to the warm current, they deviate from the average latitude norms in Norway by 15-20°, in Murmansk - by 10° or more.

Economy

The Gulf Stream is important for navigation and fishing; his kinetic energy can be used to generate electricity; its decisive influence on the global climate and the chemical and biological composition of the World Ocean is indisputable.

Attractions

■ At the very beginning of its journey, the Gulf Stream passes through the Bermuda Triangle (between Florida, Bermuda and Puerto Rico) - a notorious area in the Sargasso Sea anomalous zone, where ships and planes disappear without a trace.
■ Leaving the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf Stream carries large accumulations of floating algae of the genus Sargassum and different types thermophilic fish (including flying ones) in - a section of the ocean that does not flow anywhere, but is twisted clockwise by currents, and primarily by the Gulf Stream. Despite the huge amount of algae, which has become a real disaster for sailors, the water in the Sargasso Sea is amazingly clear: a white disk is visible at a depth of 65.5 m.
■ The color of the water in the Gulf Stream is pale blue, with greenish tints appearing in coastal areas; the boundary between the current and the ocean waters is clearly visible - dark blue and less transparent. Water transparency decreases from south to north.
■ Where the warm Gulf Stream meets the cold Labrador Current and comes into contact with colder air, fog is almost constant.

Curious facts

■ After the emergence of the Isthmus of Panama, the North Atlantic warmed by 6-7 degrees, and in the Southern Hemisphere, on the contrary, it became colder. The Gulf Stream was formed. Thus, a favorable climate for humans in Europe arose thanks to the isthmus, which gave rise to a global interoceanic circulation.
■ The Gulf Stream has not disappeared since the formation of the Isthmus of Panama, that is, about 3 million years, and is unlikely to disappear, due to its nature, but it can change the latitudes at which it crosses the Atlantic. Depending on whether it passes further south or north, different flows of moisture and heat will form, because the contrast with the air will be different. If the current goes further south, the warm air will contain more moisture and more powerful cyclones will form.