Podcast Maré Sonora ® video
MS Drops 1: Ocean or sea current?
10 October 2025 · 6 min · 49 views
Man smiles before wall of sailing medals and posters
What this video covers
Marina Guedes and Ronald Buss of the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE) clarify the linguistic and scientific distinction between the terms "corrente marinha" (marine current) and "corrente marítima" (maritime current) in Portuguese.▶ 1:01 Buss, who leads the Oceans and Cryosphere group at the Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos, explains that "corrente marinha" is the standard term for ocean currents, while "marítima" is typically reserved for human-made routes, such as shipping lanes.▶ 2:55 Beyond terminology, Buss defines ocean currents as three-dimensional mass transport systems that move volumes of water per unit of time.▶ 3:53 These currents often exhibit complex vertical structures, where surface currents may flow in the opposite direction of deep-water currents located 500 to 600 metres below.▶ 4:18 Oceanographers measure these movements in metres per second to track the global distribution of water masses.▶ 4:57
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