As a matter of fact, either conten- j
tion is a bit strong. The Gulf Stream ;
exerts no direct warming effect on'
western Europe. As an ocean cur-:
rent it does not reach any part of |
Europe. Indeed, as a definite cur
rent its flow ceases anywhere be
tween the latitude of the Carolinas
and the Newfoundland coast, these j
being roughly- the winter and the [
summer limits. To this area it is |
constantly carrying a volume of |
water probably greater than the dis
charge of all the rivers of the con
tinent combined.
Here the wind becomes a factor.
The skin friction of a southwest
wind against water drags a surface
drift northeastward and the warm
drift laves every shore of western
Europe. Even Hammerfest is pretty
free from ice all through an arctic
winter. It is practically an open
port. And this is the mission, indi
rectly of the Gulf Stream, directly of
its wind driven drift.
But the warmth of western Europe
does not come from warm coast
waters; for, in the main, the water
is colder than the air. The warmth
is due to the wind/ that come from
lower latitudes, tho southwest winds
charged almost to saturation with
moisture. The warm water over
which they blow prevents any great
loss of the latent heat contained in
the moisture of the air until it is
near the northwest coast of Europe.
Then the fog and the rain are let
10080.
