Gulf Stream

Warm ocean current that flows north from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico along the east coast of America, from which it is separated by a channel of cold water originating in the southerly Labrador current. Off Newfoundland, part of the current is diverted east across the Atlantic, where it is known as the North Atlantic Drift, dividing to flow north and south, and warming what would otherwise be a colder climate in the British Isles and northwest Europe.

At its beginning the Gulf Stream is 80–150 km/50–93 mi wide and up to 850 m/2,788 ft deep, and moves with an average velocity of 130 km/80 mi a day. Its temperature is about 26°C. As it flows northwards, the current cools and becomes broader and less rapid.