The secrets of this earth are not for all men to see, but only for those who seek them
Posts tagged North America
The Yukon – Canada
Feb 4th
The Yukon takes its name from Yu-kun-ah, the Loucheux word for the Yukon River, the ‘great river’ that drains most of the territory. Some five per cent of Canada’s landmass, the Yukon lies in the northwest corner of Canada. Bordered on three sides by rugged mountains and on the 4th by the Arctic Ocean, it shares many of the characteristics of its neighbours, Alaska, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories. More >
The Gulf Stream and North Atlantic Drift
Oct 26th
The Gulf Stream is the biggest and best-known western boundary current and originates in the Gulf of Mexico, flowing northward along the eastern coast of North America at 4 miles per hour (6.5 kph) and extending down 1500 feet (450m) from the surface. The flow of water is estimated to be 1 billion cubic feet (30 million m3) per second as it passes through the Straits of Florida – this is about 300 times the normal flow of the Amazon.
The Gulf Stream starts to move eastward off Cape Hatteras and meets the cold Labrador Current around the Grand Banks, giving rise to the notorious fogs of this area. As it moves into the Atlantic, the Gulf Stream becomes less defined and is called the North Atlantic Current or drift. The North Atlantic drift divides in the middle of the ocean, one branch moving south, the other carrying warm water to the shores of northwest Europe. More >
