All mysteries
Mystery #2Tier 3ocean currents

Why does the ocean flow in enormous rivers-within-the-sea called currents?

Out in the open ocean, water is on the move. Whole belts of it flow like rivers, wandering thousands of miles, carrying warmth and cold from one side of the planet to the other. Nothing has walls to hold these rivers in. So why does the ocean flow in enormous rivers-within-the-sea called currents?

A satellite temperature map with the Gulf Stream showing as a vivid red ribbon of warm water curling north through cooler green and blue sea
Photo: NASA MODIS · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What do you think keeps all that water flowing instead of sitting still?

There's no single magic word to type, have a go in your own words, then reveal the answer to see how close you got.

Make a guess to unlock the hints and the answer.