Previous Year Question
Which of the following is/are NOT a cold ocean current?
Agulhas current
Brazil current
Humboldt current
California current
Select the correct answer from the code given below:
1 and 3
3 and 4
2 and 3
1 and 2
Correct Answer: D
Detailed Solution
The Agulhas Current is a powerful warm western boundary current of the south-western Indian Ocean. It carries warm tropical water southward along the south-eastern coast of Africa, and a major part of the current retroflects near southern Africa back towards the Indian Ocean.
The Brazil Current is also a warm current. It is the western boundary current of the South Atlantic subtropical gyre and carries warm tropical and subtropical water southward along the eastern coast of Brazil. Near about 38°S, it encounters the northward-flowing cold Malvinas/Falkland Current.
In contrast, the Humboldt Current, also known as the Peru Current, is a cold current flowing along the western coast of South America. Coastal upwelling associated with it brings cold, nutrient-rich deep water to the surface and plays an important role in the highly productive fisheries of the Peru-Chile coast.
The California Current is also a cold eastern boundary current. It generally flows southward along the western coast of North America and is associated with coastal upwelling.