What is the world's largest ocean current?
The largest ocean current on Earth is the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (or West Wind Drift). It goes around the whole planet and connects the three oceans: the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific.
The second name of the current comes from the westerly winds, which drive it. ACC gives sailors a lot of problems: it creates quite a rough environment to sail in. A lot of well-known sailors described the ACC and the troubles it caused in their journals. For example, James Cook and James Clark Ross were amused by its power, and the British astronomer Edmund Halley was the first one to discover the current in his 1699-1700 expedition.
More Info:
polardiscovery.whoi.edu
What are your thoughts on this subject?
17 Comments
Chris Braid
A great question. Thank you. I guessed right, but only because I rather liked the word circumpolar!
patrhea
I knew it circled the planet at the equator, but picked the wrong name😁
ninakamwene
I did not know that great educational trivia. Thank you.
Bewick Finzer
I worked on a fishing boat there, cold!
Claire Mitchell
Love this kind of question. Educational.
Lynne Zeman
Good Q & A
Cari G.
Good q and a. Thx
James Edwards
Choose the Gulf Stream. Thanks for the new information, for me.
Mark Ann Dubaz
I always choose the 1st answer when I don’t know. I got it. Good information to know.
Joseph A. Robitaille
T WAS AVERY INTERESTING QUESTION AND ANSWER. i NEVER REALLY GAVE IT A THOUGHT. i KNEW ABOUT THE GOLF STREAM.
Bill McNair
Yanal Sago, try google. You can learn a lot.
Bob Goodall
Sailed them didn't think they were longest, maybe longest surface currents.
George Oliver Prince
Took a guess, but at least I learned something. That's what we're all about
DannyBoy
I feel like I should have known this one,humm.
Algernon Bhoomz
A good guess on my part. I got it right. It was between the Pacific Ocean Currents and Anartic Currents. But of-course Pacific was not listed in the answers' choice.