Table of Contents
- 1 What drives the California Current?
- 2 What direction does the Pacific current flow?
- 3 Why is the water so cold in California?
- 4 How fast does the California Current flow?
- 5 Why is California’s water so cold?
- 6 Is the California Current real?
- 7 Where does the California Current begin and end?
- 8 Where does the water from the California Current come from?
What drives the California Current?
The intensity of the California current is influenced by strong northwesterly winds. These winds predominantly blow along shore, which because of the earth’s rotation (see Eckman transport) cause water to be transported in an offshore direction.
What direction does the Pacific current flow?
The North Pacific Current (sometimes referred to as the North Pacific Drift) is a slow warm water current that flows west-to-east between 30 and 50 degrees north in the Pacific Ocean.
How deep is California Current?
500 m
The California Current proper is a year-round equatorward flow extending seaward from the shelfbreak to a distance of ~1000 km, with strongest speeds at the surface and extending to at least 500 m depth. 320 It carries cooler, fresher, nutrient-rich water equatorward.
Is California on West Coast?
Definition. There are conflicting definitions of which states comprise the West Coast of the United States, but the West Coast always includes California, Oregon, and Washington as part of that definition. For census purposes, Hawaii is part of the West Coast, along with the other four states.
Why is the water so cold in California?
The water along the coast of California is cold for a couple of reasons. First, the California Current brings cold water from Alaska southward along the coast. And second, cold water from the deep ocean comes up to the surface through a process called upwelling. So water from the deep ocean is sucked to the surface.
How fast does the California Current flow?
Schwartzlose: The average speed of the general California Current is about 4 to 4 knot (12.5-25 cm/sec) .
Is Oyashio a warm current?
Oyashio (親潮, “Parental Tide”), also known as Oya Siwo, Okhotsk or the Kurile current, is a cold subarctic ocean current that flows south and circulates counterclockwise in the western North Pacific Ocean.
Why is Alaska current warm?
Because this portion of North America lies between 30 and 60 degrees N latitude, the warmth associated with the north-flowing Alaska Current is spread to the adjacent landmass by the Prevailing Westerlies wind belt. However, the moderating influence of the current is not felt for any great distance inland.
Why is California’s water so cold?
Is the California Current real?
The California Current is a cold water Pacific Ocean current that moves southward along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia and ending off southern Baja California Sur.
Who is the best West Coast rapper?
Top 10 West Coast Rappers
- #8- Xzibit. Where You Reppin’:
- #7- Vince Staples. Where You Reppin’:
- #6- ScHoolboy Q. Where You Reppin’:
- #5- The Game. Where You Reppin’:
- #4- Kurupt. Where You Reppin’:
- #3- Snoop Dogg. Where You Reppin’:
- #2- Kendrick Lamar. Where You Reppin’:
- #1- Ice Cube. Where You Reppin’:
Is Texas the West Coast?
Texas is neither West Coast nor East Coast – the U.S. Census Bureau places it in the South Region and it is in the Central timezone. Geographically, it can be argued to be East Coast due to its Gulf of Mexico coastline, but culturally it is much closer to the West Coast.
Where does the California Current begin and end?
The California Current is a cold water Pacific Ocean current that moves southward along the western coast of North America, beginning off southern British Columbia and ending off southern Baja California Sur.
Where does the water from the California Current come from?
Cool water from high latitudes flows southward from the edge of British Columbia to Baja; this is the California Current. At the same time, breezes often blow from land to sea and push ocean surface waters away from the coast. As a result, cooler, nutrient-rich water rises up from the depths to take its place—a process known as upwelling.
What are the physical properties of the California Current?
Physical properties. The winds drive surface water to the right of the wind flow, that is offshore, which draws water up from below to replace it. The upwelling further cools the already cool California Current. This is the mechanism that produces California’s characteristic coastal fog and cool ocean waters.
Where does the Pacific Ocean current begin and end?
A Pacific Ocean current that flows southward along the western coast of North America from southern British Columbia to the southern Baja California Peninsula The ocean currents. The lack of clouds along the coast (and also along the Central Valley of California) is due to an offshore wind blowing drier air from the land offshore.