Along the western edge of the North Atlantic, a swift, narrow current carries warm water northward from the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. This is the Gulf Stream, one of the strongest western boundary currents on the planet. Speeds can exceed two meters per second, and the volume transport is roughly 30 to 150 times that of all the world’s rivers combined.

The current is part of the subtropical gyre circulation driven by wind and shaped by the Coriolis effect and the coastline. After leaving the U.S. coast it meanders into the open Atlantic, sheds eddies, and eventually feeds into the North Atlantic Current that moderates the climate of northwestern Europe. The Gulf Stream also influences hurricane intensity, fisheries, and the distribution of marine species.

Satellites, moorings, and ship surveys monitor its path and strength. Evidence suggests that the broader Atlantic overturning circulation has weakened in recent decades, with possible implications for the Gulf Stream system, though the current itself remains a robust feature of the present climate.

• Warm, swift western boundary current in the North Atlantic
• Transports large volumes of water and heat northward
• Influences European climate and marine ecosystems
• Monitored by satellites and in-situ observations