Ocean flows at surface and 2000 meters below sea level

These visualizations show ocean current flows first at sea level then at 2000 meters below sea level. There are 2 versions of each visualization: one version is global; the second version is of the Northern Atlantic.

Notice some of the differences in speed and direction of the flows between sea level and 2000 meters below sea level. For example, the Gulf Stream off the coast of Eastern North America flows strongly towards the northeast, while at 2000 meters below sea level, the flow is weaker and in the opposite direction.

These animations were created in support of an educational series produced by WGBH.