The sea current, also known as ocean current because it is precisely a phenomenon that occurs in this type of water, it is the concept that designates the typical ocean movement that occurs on the surface.
Movement of the ocean that is generated on its surface
It should be noted that the marine current is not an exclusive phenomenon of the oceans, it is also possible that it occurs in those larger seas, although of course, with less frequency.
This type of current is characterized by the presence of horizontal movements at the behest of the surface, in which the winds and the inertia resulting from the rotation of the earth affect.
There are also vertical movements that will modify the planetary rotation depending on the present underwater relief and the coast.
Marine current classes
They can be classified according to their origin in: creep, density, or tidal current.
The drag current occurs on the surface of the water body and is caused by the action of the wind.
They have a higher intensity when the wind remains constant over the body of water.
For its part, the density current occurs when there is a variation in the density of water masses located at different depths, due to the different temperature and salinity of each one.
Colder or more salty waters are denser and tend to sink, while warmer waters with less salinity tend to rise.
And tidal currents occur due to the variation in sea level as a consequence of the attraction between the moon and the sun, changing the direction when the tides change; They can be very dangerous for boats and those who practice diving, however, at sea they are not relevant.
Triggering agents
The factors that trigger a current of this type are various and include: the typical movements of the earth; translation and rotation, the winds present on our planet, the continental location, and the cold waters that emerge from the bottom of the sea.
As a consequence of its presence, it is recurrent that a dry climate prevails on the western coast of the subtropical region, while the climate will be warmer and marked by humidity on the western coast of the continents that are located at a medium latitude and high.
The action of the sun on the waters which will cause a decrease with respect to their density, giving rise to a cyclical issue, that is, the hot water being less dense than its cold pair will be available in the superficial part while that cold water will be the power of the deepest areas.
Then, the water on the surface that is already hotter will be heated even more by the action of the sun.
However, during the night the surface water tends to drop in temperature.
This question is easy to verify and gives us the guideline that surface waters are more variable in terms of temperature, unlike deep waters whose temperature is much more stable.
Then, on the western coasts of the continents, currents of very cold marine waters will be generated because they emerge from the depth, with the temperature being about four degrees.
The constant and dynamic movement that occurs in the ocean will be more noticeable on its surface.
Both waves and tides, and surface currents, generate a mixture of ocean waters that will have a clear effect on the sea.
Currents and waves are directly influenced by the winds and this affects the waters, while at the same time the winds are influenced by the sun.
Thus, marine currents transfer significant amounts of water and energy in the form of heat that will end up influencing the way in which salinity and temperature are distributed, thus affecting the climate and productivity of such waters.
Meanwhile, the temperature of the water masses will give way to the identification of different types of marine currents, cold, warm and mixed.
Its identification helps to avoid problems in the activities carried out at sea
Therefore, this phenomenon is very important to be identified, since it will directly affect various works carried out in these waters.
In other words, identifying the marine current of a water is essential when planning activities in the waters, because of course, a phenomenon such as the one described can clearly hinder the actions that are planned to be carried out.
