Restless Energy
151
prevents the warm water from spreading over cold water from the
north and north—west. The boundary is so abrupt that a ship crossing
it may record a 20°F difference between readings at the bow and
stem. The Gulf Stream itself does not. warm western Europe. In the
winter the wind blowing from the south—west passes over the en—
circled warm water bringing warm air to the European coast. As a
result the average January temperature in Norway is 45° higher than
the usual January temperature at that latitude. Without the heat
stored in the Atlantic waters, Scandinavia might be as bleak and in—
hospitable as south—eastern Greenland, and Ireland might be like
Labrador. They all lie on the same latitude. As a result of the Gulf
Stream’s branches penetrating north, the Arctic regions beast
owering plants at certain times of the year, whereas the Antarctic
has none.
Ocean currents, because they can carry minerals and other
nutrients needed by plankton, often have a direct inuence on the
fertility of the sea. In the Sargasso, which is practically devoid of
movement, the surface waters support little life; they are the marine
equivalent of a desert where only a few highly specialized animals
and plants survive. But, where the sub—surface waters mix with
those above, the plankton and the larger animals ourish. The
mixing may occur when deep mineral—rich water meets with some
sea—oor obstruction which causes it to well up
at the surface. How—
ever, many important up—wellings occur as a result of the interaction
between winds and surface waters. As mentioned earlier, in Chapter
1, off the west coast of South America, the surface waters are pushed
offshore by strong winds, and cold fertile water rises from below to
take its place. This continuous cycling of nutrient—rich water ensures
an abundant supply of plankton which in turn provides food for the
tremendous shoals of anchovy which swarm in these waters.
Ocean currents and their effects are not always benecial. This
same region of South America also suffers because from time to
time the wind fails to blow sufciently to create the up—welling. This
failure is often associated with the penetration into the region of a
warm current called El Niño (Spanish for ‘the child’) because it
arrives around Christmas time. The warm current, which is short
of both nutrients and oxygen, forms a stiing tepid surface layer
causing the cold—water animals and plants to sicken and die on a
fantastic scale. Dead and decaying sh litter the beaches. The
decay may be so great that the water becomes completely lacking in
151
prevents the warm water from spreading over cold water from the
north and north—west. The boundary is so abrupt that a ship crossing
it may record a 20°F difference between readings at the bow and
stem. The Gulf Stream itself does not. warm western Europe. In the
winter the wind blowing from the south—west passes over the en—
circled warm water bringing warm air to the European coast. As a
result the average January temperature in Norway is 45° higher than
the usual January temperature at that latitude. Without the heat
stored in the Atlantic waters, Scandinavia might be as bleak and in—
hospitable as south—eastern Greenland, and Ireland might be like
Labrador. They all lie on the same latitude. As a result of the Gulf
Stream’s branches penetrating north, the Arctic regions beast
owering plants at certain times of the year, whereas the Antarctic
has none.
Ocean currents, because they can carry minerals and other
nutrients needed by plankton, often have a direct inuence on the
fertility of the sea. In the Sargasso, which is practically devoid of
movement, the surface waters support little life; they are the marine
equivalent of a desert where only a few highly specialized animals
and plants survive. But, where the sub—surface waters mix with
those above, the plankton and the larger animals ourish. The
mixing may occur when deep mineral—rich water meets with some
sea—oor obstruction which causes it to well up
at the surface. How—
ever, many important up—wellings occur as a result of the interaction
between winds and surface waters. As mentioned earlier, in Chapter
1, off the west coast of South America, the surface waters are pushed
offshore by strong winds, and cold fertile water rises from below to
take its place. This continuous cycling of nutrient—rich water ensures
an abundant supply of plankton which in turn provides food for the
tremendous shoals of anchovy which swarm in these waters.
Ocean currents and their effects are not always benecial. This
same region of South America also suffers because from time to
time the wind fails to blow sufciently to create the up—welling. This
failure is often associated with the penetration into the region of a
warm current called El Niño (Spanish for ‘the child’) because it
arrives around Christmas time. The warm current, which is short
of both nutrients and oxygen, forms a stiing tepid surface layer
causing the cold—water animals and plants to sicken and die on a
fantastic scale. Dead and decaying sh litter the beaches. The
decay may be so great that the water becomes completely lacking in