Which of the following currents has a warming influence upon the coast along which it flows?

Answer Details

Ocean currents are classified as either warm or cold depending on whether their water temperature is higher or lower than the surrounding ocean water. Warm currents flow from equatorial regions toward the poles, while cold currents flow from polar regions toward the equator.

The Mozambique current is a warm current. It flows southward along the coast of Mozambique in the Indian Ocean, carrying warm tropical water from near the equator toward higher latitudes. It warms the southeastern coast of Africa and eventually feeds into the Agulhas Current.

The other three currents are all cold:

• The Benguela current flows northward along the south-west coast of Africa, carrying cold water from the Southern Ocean and producing the cool, dry conditions of the Namib Desert.
• The Labrador current flows southward from the Arctic along the north-east coast of North America, bringing cold water and icebergs past Newfoundland.
• The Canaries current flows southward along the north-west coast of Africa, carrying cool water from higher latitudes and contributing to the aridity of the western Sahara coastline.

A reliable pattern to remember: currents flowing from the equator toward the poles are warm; those flowing from the poles toward the equator are cold.