Gulf Stream
D1. Physical and chemical oceanography and marine meteorologyDefinition
Warm western boundary current of the North Atlantic.
The Gulf Stream is the warm western boundary current of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. It runs from the Florida Straits (about 30 Sv) along the US coast, separates near Cape Hatteras, and feeds the North Atlantic Current, growing past 80 Sv. It transports roughly 1.3 petawatts of heat poleward, moderating northwest European climate. Its meandering front spawns warm- and cold-core rings tens of kilometers across.