North Atlantic Ocean Current Velocity
Three-dimensional General Circulation Models divide the ocean into a rectangular grid with layered vertical columns. This North Atlantic model uses a 1/6 degree grid with 37 layers. It captured 30 years of velocity, sea-surface temperature, and salinity. The model realistically separates the Gulf Stream from the Florida coast. A feature as small as the Gulf Stream had not appeared in lower-resolution models.
An animation of three-dimensional current velocity in the North Atlantic, where velocity ranges from 30 centimeters per second, shown in blue, to 200 centimeters per second, shown in red
![Video slate image reads, "North Atlantic Ocean Current VelocityThis North Atlantic model uses a 1/6 degree grid with 37 layers. The complete model captured 30 years of velocity, sea-surface temperature, and salinity."](/static/svs/images/no_preview_web_black.png)
Video slate image reads, "North Atlantic Ocean Current Velocity
This North Atlantic model uses a 1/6 degree grid with 37 layers. The complete model captured 30 years of velocity, sea-surface temperature, and salinity."
Credits
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Animators
- Peggy Li (NASA)
- James Tsiao (NASA)
Scientists
- Yi Chao (NASA/JPL CalTech)
- Benny Cheng (NASA/JPL CalTech)
Release date
This page was originally published on Thursday, January 21, 1999.
This page was last updated on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 1:59 PM EDT.