SWIRLS OF THE SEA 



41 



tlie Southern hemisphere they are turned to 

 the south and again find their way back to the 

 east. The movement is substantially the same 

 in the Pacific. The general westward move- 

 ment prevails, and the winds are again turned 

 back at the north and the south. 



The main ocean currents follow, as closely 

 as is possible for them, the directions of these 

 Trade Winds and seem to correspond with 

 them in many ways. In the Atlantic the South 

 Equatorial Current flows to the west pushed 

 by the Southeast Trades. When it meets the 

 coast of Brazil part of it is shunted off south 

 to make the Brazilian Current and part of it 

 goes to the north, enters the Gulf of Mexico, 

 and with the North Equatorial Current after- 

 ward emerges as the Gulf Stream. Substan- 

 tially the same thing takes place in the Pacific. 

 The North Equatorial Current flowing west 

 meets the Philippines and other islands, is bent 

 northward, and finally flows eastward as the 

 Japanese Current; the South Equatorial Cur- 

 rent bends south and east as the East Austra- 

 lian Current. All these currents eventually re- 

 turn upon themselves and complete the circle. 

 Moreover, they all have counter-drifts running 

 in opposite directions that help restore the 

 equilibrium of the seas. 



Direction of 

 the Trades. 



Ocean cvr- 

 rents follow 

 ^I'inds. 



