Thus, ocean currents regulate global climate, helping to counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth’s surface.

Ocean currents act much like a conveyor belt, transporting warm water and precipitation from the equator toward the poles and cold water from the poles back to the tropics.

Major current systems typically flow clockwise in the northern hemisphere and counterclockwise in the southern hemisphere, in circular patterns that often trace the coastlines. Currents are movements of ocean water in a continuous flow, created largely by surface winds but also partly by temperature and salinity gradients, Earth’s rotation, and tides. Outside of Earth’s equatorial areas, weather patterns are driven largely by ocean currents. The tropics are particularly rainy because heat absorption, and thus ocean evaporation, is highest in this area. In fact, almost all rain that falls on land starts off in the ocean. Ocean water is constantly evaporating, increasing the temperature and humidity of the surrounding air to form rain and storms that are then carried by trade winds. When water molecules are heated, they exchange freely with the air in a process called evaporation. The ocean doesn't just store solar radiation it also helps to distribute heat around the globe. Land areas also absorb some sunlight, and the atmosphere helps to retain heat that would otherwise quickly radiate into space after sunset. The majority of radiation from the sun is absorbed by the ocean, particularly in tropical waters around the equator, where the ocean acts like a massive, heat-retaining solar panel. One way that the world’s ocean affects weather and climate is by playing an important role in keeping our planet warm. Ocean currents act as conveyer belts of warm and cold water, sending heat toward the polar regions and helping tropical areas cool off, thus influencing both weather and climate.

This illustration shows the major ocean currents throughout the globe.

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