📌 Topic 03 of 6 · Chapter 11 · World Physical Geography
Ocean Currents of the World
Warm currents (Gulf Stream, Kuroshio), cold currents (Labrador, Benguela) — complete notes for UPSC & PSC exams.
🌊 Major Ocean Currents
| Current | Type | Ocean | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gulf Stream | Warm | Atlantic | Keeps Western Europe warm; flows from Gulf of Mexico to NW Europe |
| North Atlantic Drift | Warm | Atlantic | Extension of Gulf Stream; keeps UK and Norway ice-free in winter |
| Kuroshio Current | Warm | Pacific | “Japan Current”; keeps Japan’s coast warm; Pacific equivalent of Gulf Stream |
| Labrador Current | Cold | Atlantic | Flows from Arctic; causes fog off Newfoundland (Canada) |
| Benguela Current | Cold | Atlantic | Off SW Africa; causes Namib Desert |
| Humboldt (Peru) Current | Cold | Pacific | Off South America; rich fishing grounds; El Niño disrupts it |
| Canary Current | Cold | Atlantic | Off NW Africa; contributes to Sahara Desert |
| California Current | Cold | Pacific | Off California coast; causes fog in San Francisco |
⭐ El Niño & La Niña:
• El Niño = warming of Pacific near Peru = weakens Indian monsoon = drought risk in India
• La Niña = cooling of Pacific = strengthens Indian monsoon = good rainfall
• ENSO = El Niño Southern Oscillation = combined phenomenon
• Positive IOD = western Indian Ocean warmer = good monsoon for India
• Major El Niño years: 1982-83, 1997-98, 2015-16, 2023
• El Niño = warming of Pacific near Peru = weakens Indian monsoon = drought risk in India
• La Niña = cooling of Pacific = strengthens Indian monsoon = good rainfall
• ENSO = El Niño Southern Oscillation = combined phenomenon
• Positive IOD = western Indian Ocean warmer = good monsoon for India
• Major El Niño years: 1982-83, 1997-98, 2015-16, 2023