What are the climatic zones of the Atlantic Ocean? Average temperature of the Atlantic Ocean

In order to determine in which climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located, it is enough to look at the map of the world. It stretches from the northern ice islands and ends at the coast of Antarctica, crossing the equator and all surrounding natural areas. In each separate area, the weather conditions over the waters are different. Somewhere the trade winds predominate, somewhere monsoons. There are areas with low pressure, there is a very high. Because now we will consider in more detail, in which climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located, and also highlight their main features.

Atlantic data

In terms of its parameters and the volume of water masses, the Atlantic Ocean ranks second in the world after the Pacific. It is located between the shores of Europe and North America, between Africa and South America. In the North, it originates off the coast of Iceland, and in the South it touches the glaciers of Antarctica. On the territory of this vast water reservoir, not so many islands already exist, which is one of its features. The fact is that the bottom relief of the ocean was formed long ago, compared, for example, with the Indian, because most of the volcanoes here are asleep, and tectonic plates are in a state of rest. Nevertheless, all the islands that have formed here have a volcanic origin, regardless of their parameters. So, we have examined where the Atlantic Ocean is located relative to the continents. Now we turn to its weather conditions.

Brief information about the climate

Despite the fact that the Atlantic has a very impressive meridian extension, the air temperature and humidity here seem to be "leveled" due to the water currents. One of them is the Gulf Stream, which carries warm waters from the coasts of Central America to Northern Europe. Due to the warm waters running along the western shores of Eurasia, the climate here is very mild and stable. Also, the Gulf Stream provides the northern part of the ocean with higher average annual temperature indicators. In the South, there are much more significant temperature changes during the seasons and a sharper weather change.

Location Features

The position of the Atlantic Ocean relative to the continents is the main reason that surface waters and air warm up more in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere. The fact is that its width in the upper part of the planet is small compared to the southern one. Here he is between North America and Europe, which as it were squeezed. In the South, it expands, as it is between the cut lines of Africa and South America. Below it is fed by the glaciers of Antarctica, which further cools the southern currents. To say with accuracy what the average temperature of the Atlantic Ocean can not be. It is possible to single out a constant for the Northern Hemisphere - +17 degrees above zero, and for the Southern - +16 degrees.

Polar Regions

Let's start with the climatic zones in which the Atlantic Ocean is located near the polar shores. In the North, it does not reach the Arctic zone, because all the waters are in the subarctic. Here seasonal temperature fluctuations occur in the range of 15 degrees. In summer the column of the thermometer rises to +4, in winter it drops to 15 or more below zero. The northern coast of the Atlantic is the zone of the Azores minimum, and the pressure here is always very low. The average amount of precipitation is 250 mm per year. Weather conditions in the South are much more severe. Seasonal temperature changes are up to 25 degrees. In summer the column of the thermometer rarely rises above zero, and in winter it drops to -30 and even lower. There is a zone of the South Atlantic minimum, and the amount of precipitation is only 100 mm per year.

Moderate latitudes

This climate zone is approximately identical in both hemispheres of the planet. It is the place of transition from the dynamic minimum to the maximum, which is located in the tropics. Here the seasonal temperature fluctuations are about 10 degrees (in the South a little more, in the North it is less), and in this case, in comparison with the polar latitudes, the humidity is much higher - 1500 mm per year. In the temperate latitudes in winter, the air is cooled no more than -5 Celsius. The temperature of the surface waters of the Atlantic Ocean is never below zero, so they do not freeze. Summer in the northern hemisphere is warm and dry - up to +25. In the southern part of the ocean, the temperature rises to a maximum of +22.

Tropics in the North and South

Studying in what climatic zones the Atlantic Ocean is located, one can not miss the tropical zone, one of the most extensive on its territory. In the North, the tropics are hotter and drier than in the South. The weather here is caused by monsoons that blow from Africa, they often cause storms and tornadoes in the ocean in the winter. In summer, the force of the wind decreases, the clouds are dispelled. The southern tropics are distinguished by light trade winds that can be brought from the continents or formed above the surface of the water. The difference between winter and summer is not as significant here as in the North. In the tropical latitudes of the Atlantic, the annual temperature fluctuations are no more than 2 degrees. The average thermometer shows +25. Also note that this zone is considered a dynamic maximum. There is very little precipitation, no more than 200 mm per year, and in some areas only 50 mm.

Equatorial zone

Between the tropics there is a zone of dynamic minimum. There are always the highest temperature indicators, and at the same time a very high humidity. It is caused by cyclones, which form over the waters a large veil of clouds and fogs throughout the year. The average temperature of the Atlantic Ocean near the equator is +28 degrees. Precipitation here sometimes falls around 3000 mm per year. It is near the equator, between its strip and the tropics, there are two archipelagos, which are considered the best places for beach holidays. This is the Canary Islands, with a developed infrastructure, as well as the islands of Cape Verde (Cape Verde) - a place for lovers of extreme tourism, unusual landscapes and unique equatorial nature.