A numberof facLors cause wesLern lnLenslflcaLlon lncludlng Lhe Corlolls effecL 1he corlolls effecL

lncreases Loward Lhe poles so easLwardflowlng hlghlaLlLude waLers Lurns Loward Lhe equaLor more
sLrongly Lhan wesLwardflowlng equaLorlal waLer Lurns Loward hlgher laLlLudes 1hls causes a wlde
slow and shallow flow of waLer Loward Lhe equaLor across mosL of each subLroplcal gyre leavlng
only a narrow band Lrough whlch Lhe poleward flow an occur along Lhe wesLern margln of Lhe ocean
basln lf a consLanL volume of waLer roLaLes around Lhe appex of Lhe hlll ln llgure 78b Lhen Lhe
veloclLy around Lhe easLern slde ln flgure 78b Lhe llnes are close LogeLher along Lhe wesLern
margln lndlcaLlng Lhe fasLer flow 1he end resulL ls a hlghspeed wesLern boundary currenL LhaL
flows along Lhe hlll's sLeeper wesLward slope and a slow drlfL of waLer Loward Lhe equaLor along Lhe
more gradual easLern slope Lable 72 summarlzes Lhe dlfferences beLween wasLern and easLern
boundary currenLs of subLroplcal gyres
CCLAn Cu88Ln1S Anu CLlMA1L
Ccean surface currenLs dlrecLly lnfluence Lhe cllmaLe of ad[olnlng landmasses lor lnsLance warm
ocean currenLs warm Lhe nerby alr 1hls warm alr can hold a large amounL of waLer vapor whlch
puLs more mosLure (hlgh humldlLy) ln Lhe aLmosphere When Lhls warm MolsL alr Lravels over a
conLlnenL lL releases ls waLer vapors ln Lhe form of preclplcaLlon ConLlnenLal marglns LhaL have
warm ocean currenL offshore Lyplcally have a humld cllmaLe 1he presence of a warm currenL off Lhe
LasL CoasL of Lhe unlLed SLaLes helps explaln why Lhe area axperlences such hlgh humldlLy especlally
ln Lhe summer Conversely cold ocean currenLs cool Lhe nearby alr whlch ls more llkely Lo have low
aLer vapor conLenL When Lhe cool dry alr Lravels over a conLlnenL lL resulL ln very llLLle
prlclplcaLlon ConLlnenLal marglns LhaL have cool ocean currenLs offshore Lyplcally have a dry
cllmaLe 1he presence of a cold currenL off Callfornla ls parL of Lhe reason why lL has such an afld
cllmaLe