Ocean Currents

[Edward Campbell]

A fascinating video from NASA, here.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Very cool!

I wonder if they could actually provide real time data of the local currents in a form that could be inputed directly into electronic charts.

 

[jollyjacktar]

The Daily Mail in the UK also compared the swirls to Van Gogh's "Starry starry night"  quite similar in appearance.  NASA's show is beautiful.

 

[Furniture]

We had to learn the names of the main currents back on my QL5 course, for what purpose I'm not yet sure.

 

[matthew1786]

Nice video, I wonder if they render the visuals in real time or not! If so, that would be some very impressive software.

 

[Kirkhill]

It would be really neat if you could use that information to cast adrift "pods" (perhaps semi-submersibles or even submersibles) of commodities like oil, gas, coal, water, grain and use the currents to distribute them with zero energy input (perhaps a fleet of unmanned tugs to move the pods from one stream to another).

The Japanese trawler that the USCG just sunk is essentially proof of concept.  All commodities need storage and they are stored in transit just as much as they are stored in a warehouse, bunker or silo.  Add a GPS locator and an RFID tag to demonstrate proof of ownership (like a brand on free range cattle or a log floated down river) and you are good to go.

 

[Occam]

We had to learn the names of the main currents back on my QL5 course, for what purpose I'm not yet sure.

I'm just taking a wild stab here...

Ocean currents are pretty important to our weather, are they not?  Hurricane Juan, which hit Nova Scotia back in Sep 2003, would not have retained the strength it had at landfall if the Gulf Stream had been near normal temperature.

 

[Furniture]

Knowing water temperature is extremely important to forecasting near water, knowing that the name of the current bringing the water in... not so much.

 

[Occam]

Knowing water temperature is extremely important to forecasting near water, knowing that the name of the current bringing the water in... not so much.

Well, I guess it's a good thing that the meteorologists tracking Hurricane Juan studied their ocean current names, lest they have looked up the normal temperatures of the North Atlantic Current instead of the Gulf Stream to estimate Juan's strength at landfall... 

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Knowing water temperature is extremely important to forecasting near water, knowing that the name of the current bringing the water in... not so much.

Come on, weather dog, that kind of info can be invaluable in the Palamino- spout off the names of a few ocean currents and the women will be draping themselves off you!

 

[Furniture]

Come on, weather dog, that kind of info can be invaluable in the Palamino- spout off the names of a few ocean currents and the women will be draping themselves off you!

That's the best reason I've found. Start throwing out Alaskan Gyre, and Labrador current and the cougars at the Pal get all fired up. :nod: