Deep Ocean Circulation: North Atlantic Circulation

Let's see how the ocean circulates in the North Atlantic.

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The equatorial sun warms the ocean surface and causes water to evaporate. The Gulf Stream carries the hot, salty water north (red lines) up the east coast of the United States and then across to Europe. Once the water reaches the colder latitudes, it cools and becomes denser. It therefore sinks to deeper depths and flows back south (blue lines). But this is only one part of the system that circulates water around the entire globe. (Illustration by Jack Cook, WHOI Graphic Services).

How does water circulate throughout the world's oceans? »