Humboldt Current

E6942

The Humboldt Current is a cold, nutrient-rich ocean current flowing northward along the western coast of South America, supporting one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems.


Statements (48)
Predicate Object
instanceOf cold current
eastern boundary current
ocean current
affects global carbon cycle
global fisheries yields
alternateName Peru Current
associatedWithProcess coastal upwelling
biomeType upwelling ecosystem
classifiedAs major upwelling system
componentOf South Pacific subtropical gyre
drivenBy southeast trade winds
extendsFrom southern Chilean coast
extendsTo near the equator in the eastern Pacific
flowsAlongCoastOf Chile
Peru
western South America
flowsDirection northward
hasImpactOn coastal economies of Peru and Chile
seabird guano production
influences aridity of Atacama Desert
climate of western South America
regional fog formation
sea surface temperatures off Peru and Chile
knownFor high fish biomass
large interannual variability
linkedTo El Niño–Southern Oscillation
majorExport fish oil
fishmeal
namedAfter Alexander von Humboldt
nutrientCharacteristic nutrient-rich
oceanographicRegion Southeast Pacific
partOf Pacific Ocean
South Pacific Ocean circulation
productivityLevel high
strengthenedDuring La Niña events
studiedInDiscipline fisheries science
marine ecology
physical oceanography
supports anchoveta fisheries
high primary productivity
large fisheries
marine mammal populations
one of the world’s most productive marine ecosystems
seabird populations
waterMassType Eastern South Pacific Central Water
waterOrigin subantarctic waters
waterTemperatureCharacteristic cold
weakenedDuring El Niño events


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