The Gulf Stream transports warm water from the Gulf of Mexico northward along the U.S. East Coast and across the Atlantic Ocean eastward toward Europe.
1
The Gulf Stream becomes the North Atlantic Current. The warm water continues to cool as it travels through the North Atlantic, becoming denser and heavier.
2
North Polar Convection Area Greenland Sea: Dense and low-salinity surface water sinks to the depths here.
3
North Polar Convection Area Labrador Sea: Dense and low-salinity surface water sinks to depth here.
4
In the deep layers of the Atlantic, convection sets in motion an opposing, southward flow toward the Southern Ocean.
5
From the circumpolar current, the cold water masses move northward again into the Indian Ocean and mix with the surrounding water. In the process, they rise into the layers near the surface.
11
The warm ocean current spreads out in large eddies in the South Atlantic, which is then further transported with the South Equatorial Current across the equator towards the Caribbean.
13
In the deep sea, the North Atlantic water flows as a cold deep current to the outlet of the South Atlantic and is then fed into the Antarctic Circumpolar Current.
6
South polar convection area Weddell Sea: Dense and low-salinity surface water sinks into the depths here.
7
The Circumpolar Current of the Southern Ocean flows around the entire globe, mixing the water masses of the three adjacent oceans.
8
South polar convection area Ross Sea: Dense and low-salinity surface water sinks into the depths here.
9
From the Circumpolar Current, the cold water masses move northward again into the Pacific Ocean and mix with the surrounding water. In the process, they rise into the layers near the surface.
10
Warm water from the Indian Ocean is carried around the southern tip of Africa via the Agulhas Current.