Do First - The Gulf Stream

Last updated 9 months ago

3 questions

The gulf stream is a _______  and fast moving ocean current. It runs from the gulf of Mexico following the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic oceans and becoming the _______  Atlantic current. 

The gulf stream is caused by large system of circular currents and powerful winds, called an oceanic _______ . 

There are 5 major gyres on Earth and the gulf stream is a part of the north Atlantic subtropical gyre. The gulf stream brings warm water from the gulf  of Mexico all the way up to the _______  sea. As the warm water comes in, colder denser water sinks and begins moving _______ , eventually flowing along the bottom of the ocean all the way to Antarctica. 

The gulf stream is fed by the westward flowing North equatorial current, moving from north Africa to the West Indies. The current splits into the Caribbean current, which passes into the Caribbean sea and through the Yucatan channel into the gulf of _______ passing into the Antilles current, which flows into the north and west indies. The Caribbean current re-emerges into the Atlantic through the straights of Florida between the Florida _______  and Cuba to form the Florida current. It is joined by the Antilles current and goes north. 

The main portion of the gulf stream continues north towards the British Isles and the Norwegian sea where it becomes the North Atlantic drift.

The gulf stream is influential on the climate of the Florida _______ . The portion off the Florida coast, referred to as the Florida current maintains an average water temperature of at least 24 degrees celsius during the _______ . Eastern winds moving over this warm water move warm air from over the gulf stream inland, helping to keep temperatures _______  across the state than elsewhere across the southeastern United States during the winter. 

The warm water of the gulf stream also produces strong westerly winds in Scotland and pushes warm water to the Norwegian _______ , keeping it free of ice and snow throughout the year. 

The warm water and temperature _______  along the edge of the gulf stream often increases the intensity of _______ , also known as hurricanes. 

75% of cyclones documented between 1951 and 2000 formed _______  the gulf stream (warm water current). Hurricane Sandy in 2012 was an example of a hurricane gaining _______  as it passed over the gulf stream heading toward the United States.  