Canary Current
Topic: Movements of Ocean Water: Waves, Tides and Currents · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 13 "Movements of Ocean Water"
Meaning
The Canary Current is a cold ocean current that flows south along the north-west coast of Africa. It runs from off Spain to Senegal. It forms the eastern arm of the clockwise current loop of the North Atlantic. The cold water cools the air above it, so rain clouds rarely form. Winds push surface water away from the coast, so cold, nutrient-rich water rises from below. This is called upwelling, and it feeds rich fisheries.
Example
The Canary Current adds to the dryness of the coastal Sahara, along the Atlantic shores of Morocco, Western Sahara and Mauritania. Its upwelling supports fisheries off this coast.
Don't confuse with
- Benguela Current: it is also a cold current on Africa's west coast, but it is in the South Atlantic, flows north, and borders the Namib Desert. The Canary Current is in the North Atlantic and flows south.
Related concepts
- Gulf Stream
- North Atlantic Drift
- Sargasso Sea
- Labrador Current
- Brazil Current
- Falkland Current
- Benguela Current