Kuroshio Current
Also called: Japan Current · Topic: Movements of Ocean Water: Waves, Tides and Currents · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 13 "Movements of Ocean Water"
Meaning
The Kuroshio Current, also called the Japan Current, is a warm ocean current that flows north-east past Taiwan and along the east coast of Japan. Its name means "black current" in Japanese, after its deep blue, dark-looking water. It forms the western arm of the clockwise current loop of the North Pacific. It is called the Pacific's Gulf Stream because both carry warm water poleward along the eastern side of a continent.
Example
The Kuroshio meets the cold Oyashio Current near Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. The mixing of warm and cold water creates fog and one of the world's richest fishing grounds.
Don't confuse with
- Oyashio Current: it is cold, rich in nutrients, and flows south from the Bering Sea. The Kuroshio is warm and flows north-east.
- Gulf Stream: it plays a similar role, but in the Atlantic, off the US east coast.