MAJOR CURRENTS IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH ATLANTIC 
OCEANS BETWEEN 64°N AND 60°S 
Introduction 
An examination of existing data sources clearly shows that the 
methods utilized to determine the principal characteristics of ocean 
currents leave much to be desired. From the many and varied types 
of information, currents have been identified on the basis of faunal 
zones, increase or decrease in temperature and salinity, changes in 
water color, exchange of heat and water vapor with the atmosphere, 
cloud cover, mixing, dilution by rain, river discharge, heating and 
evaporation, Coriolis force, distribution of organisms, ete. It is 
agreed that all these factors, to varying degrees, can help to distin- 
guish the currents, but it also appears that the importance of these factors, 
when stressed individually, can be greatly exaggerated. 
The usual graphic presentation of ocean currents is, at best, 
roughly diagrammatic. The entire surface of every oceanic area is in 
constant motion, such movement being exceedingly variable in some 
regions and relatively stable in others. The currents shown in Figure 1 
and described in this report are those where the movement within specified 
boundaries exhibits a definite permanent or seasonal flow. The regions 
beyond the boundaries of the currents are those where flows, frequently 
considered part of a prevailing current, are less defined, characterized 
by insufficient data, mainly tidal, under the influence of winds or 
river discharge, or variable and turning. The boundaries indicate a 
gradual, and not a sharp, change between zones of more persistent 
flow and zones of less stable or weaker flow. 
