About our Gulf Stream news
Latest news on the Gulf Stream, a warm and swift ocean current that flows from the tip of Florida to the eastern coast of North America and then across the Atlantic Ocean towards Europe. It is part of a larger system of currents called the thermohaline circulation or the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, which is driven by differences in temperature and salt content of the water.
The Gulf Stream has a major influence on the climate of the regions it passes by. It makes the climate of western Europe much warmer than it would be otherwise, as it carries heat from the tropics to higher latitudes. For example, the air over the ocean west of Norway is more than 40°F (22°C) warmer than the average for that latitude, one of the greatest temperature anomalies in the world. The Gulf Stream also affects the weather patterns, marine ecosystems, and fishing industries of the Atlantic Ocean.