How does The Gulf Stream keep the Earth cool?
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Hey there, smarty pants. Those ocean sounds you're hearing can only mean one thing. I'm on vacation. Not a full vacation, mind you. I'm still busy narrating away. But today I'm coming to you from the white sandy beaches of... Actually, care to take a guess where I am, smarty pants? Here are some hints. One, I'm in one of the 50 states of the United States of America. Two, this state is known as the Sunshine State.

And three, this state extends further south than any other part of the country. So, any guesses? Did you say Florida? Great job, Smarty Pants. I'm on the beach in Miami, Florida, soaking up the sun, with plenty of sunscreen, of course, and trying to get my tuna fish sandwich back from a seagull. Here, Gully Gully. Please, please, I promise to share.

Oh, well. I guess the one advantage of not eating lunch is I don't have to wait 30 minutes to go swimming. I'll just grab my inflatable raft and head into the ocean. Now, where did I put my inflatable raft? Wait, a seagull couldn't have stolen my raft. Floaty? Floaty, where are you? I'm right here, trusty narrator. Did you hear that, smarty pants? It seems to be coming from under my giant cooler.

Ah, there you are, floaty the inflatable raft. Sorry, I didn't mean to put my cooler on top of you. Ah, that's okay. People put stuff on top of me all the time. Coolers, beach bags, their butts...

What I want to know is, why do you have such a giant cooler for one tuna fish sandwich? That is a great question, Floaty. Next time, I'll bring two sandwiches to the beach. Now, I have a question for you, Floaty. How would you like to go for a ride in the ocean with me? The ocean? Are you sure you want to do that?

I've only ever been in a pool. I don't think I could handle that kind of pressure. Oh, you can handle the pressure. In fact, you feel a little flat, Floaty. You could probably use a little more pressure. Yeah, I guess I have been feeling a little deflated lately. Well, let's take care of that. There you go. Now, let's hit the ocean. Okay, if you say so. How we doing, Floaty? Uh, pretty good, I think.

Actually, I'm doing great. I think I love the ocean. That's wonderful. See, I told you that you could do it. Thanks for believing in me, trusty narrator. Um, but I do have just one question.

How come I'm not staying put? You know, in the pool, I barely move while we're floating around, but in the ocean, I can't stop moving. Ah, that's because the ocean is always moving, Floaty. In particular, here on the coast of Florida, we are in what's known as the Gulf Stream. The Gulf Stream? What's that? Does it have anything to do with hitting a small white ball into a small hole with a club? No.

No, no, no, that's gulf. This is gulf. G-U-L-F. Smarty Pants, do you know what a gulf is? A gulf is a part of the ocean that extends deep into the coastline and is almost entirely surrounded by land. A gulf usually has a narrow mouth and is still connected to the sea either directly or through another body of water like a strait. Okay, but what is the gulf stream and how is it making me move?

Good question, Floaty. Smarty Pants, do you know what a Gulf Stream is? Or how a Gulf Stream works? And why are Gulf Streams important? Well then, it's time for another whiff of Science and History on... Who's Smarted? Who's Smarted? Who's Smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it Science? Or History? Listen up, everyone!

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Howdy, smarty pants. Right now, I'm floating in the Atlantic Ocean atop my friend, Floaty, the inflatable raft. It seems Floaty has some questions. Isn't that right, Floaty? Well, yeah, trusty. I wanted to know why we're moving so much in the ocean compared to, like, floating in a pool. You said it was due to the Gulf Stream. So what's a Gulf Stream? Yep, that seems like the place to start.

So, Smarty Pants, what do you think the Gulf Stream is? Is it A, a small brook or stream on a golf course? Quiet. I'm trying to putt. B, a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico? Or C, a rock and roll band? Did you say B, Smarty Pants? Of course you did. And you're right.

The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension, the North Atlantic Drift, is a warm and swift Atlantic Ocean current that originates in the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Global Ocean Conveyor Belts. The Gulf Stream flows from the Gulf of Mexico through the Straits of Florida, the eastern coastline of the United States, and then veers east and moves towards Europe.

The Straits of Florida? Don't you mean the State of Florida? Nope, I mean a strait. S-T-R-A-I-T. A strait is a narrow passage of water that connects two seas or two other large areas of water. Also, you said it was an ocean current. Does that mean it's a pretty new part of the ocean?

What? Oh, I see, Floaty. Yes, while the word current can mean new, in this case it means a body of water moving in a particular direction through a surrounding body of water that isn't moving as much. Oh, I see. And currents don't just happen in water. Smarty Pants, can you think of another place where you can find a current? Did you say in the air?

Yep, air currents, like the polar jet stream, are winds that blow through the air. We'll save that for another episode. Today, we're just talking about ocean currents. So is it just these waves on top of the water that's moving? Nope.

All of the water is moving. In fact, the Gulf Stream transports water at a rate of 30 million cubic meters per second through the Florida Straits. That is a lot of water. It sure is, Floaty. But how does the Gulf Stream work? Who's pushing all that water around? Great question, Floaty. How does the Gulf Stream work? True or false, smarty pants? The Gulf Stream's motion is a result of its water's temperature.

Did you say true, Smarty Pants? Well, good for you, because it's true. The Gulf Stream brings warm water from the Gulf of Mexico all the way up past Newfoundland on the eastern coast of Canada to the Norwegian Sea up near the Arctic Ocean. As the warm water moves north...

colder, denser water sinks beneath the warmer water and begins moving south. That colder water eventually flows along the bottom of the ocean all the way to Antarctica. Ooh! Well, that sounds cool and all, but I don't get it. How does temperature make the water sink? What do you think, smarty pants? Why would temperature affect water sinking or floating?

I'll give you a hint. It's something you might love to put on your french fries. That's right, salty pants. I mean, smarty pants. The answer is salt.

Warm water carries less salt, or salinity, making it less dense, or heavy, than colder water. And colder water has more salt, or salinity, making it denser, or heavier. So, when the warm water from the Gulf of Mexico moves north and begins to cool, it gains salinity and density and begins to sink.

This cool water sinks to the bottom of the ocean and joins the global ocean conveyor belt, moving south where it will then become warmer and rise back up towards the surface. The process then repeats itself over and over. Wow! Who knew there was so much going on with the water? I just thought it was wet. I could float on it. Yep. What was that? My stomach. Talking about french fries made me hungry for lunch.

Please, Siegel, give me some of my sandwich back. I get why lunch is important, but why is it important for ocean water to move? Why not just stay put, like a pool or a lake? I'm glad you asked, Floaty. The Gulf Stream, as well as the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt, is very important. And we'll find out why right after this short break.

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You know, Floaty, we've been moving this whole time we've been talking, and now I can't see our beach spot. Smarty Pants, has that ever happened to you in the ocean? Have you ever looked up and realized you're way further over than when you first got in? Let's swim back to shore and find our stuff, and then we can figure out why it's important that the ocean moves. I think I see our stuff, Floaty. Are you sure? Unless somebody else has a giant Who's Smarted beach umbrella that says Trusty Narrator on it. Come on.

It's the seagull who stole my lunch. What do you know? They just dropped half my sandwich. Thanks for sharing, seagull. Remind me to remind the seagull not to drop my sandwich in the sand next time. Talk about a sand witch. Nice one, Floaty. But let's get back to the question at hand. Why do you think the Gulf Stream is so important, smarty pants? Is it because, A, it helps ships navigate?

B. It helps transport salt around the world for french fries. Or C. It regulates the global climate. If you said C, nice. Regulating the global climate is the correct answer.

The Gulf Stream, along with the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt, help to regulate the Earth's climate. Ocean currents transport warm water and precipitation from the Earth's equator toward the poles, while currents running in the opposite direction take cold water from the poles back to the tropics.

These currents help to regulate global climate and counteract the uneven distribution of solar radiation reaching Earth's surface. Solar radiation? Like, from the sun? That's right, Floaty. The Gulf Stream is the Earth's way of cooling itself, in a sense. Ah, I see. But what about heat caused by humans? Ah, you mean the man-made things like burning fossil fuels, factory farming, and deforestation that contribute to global warming? Exactly.

What do you think, smarty pants? Does the Gulf Stream counteract global warming? Unfortunately, it does not. In fact, man-made global warming has gradually heated the oceans, creating more warm water that moves much faster. These quicker currents lead to stronger winds and more severe storms. Oh no! Oh no is right, Floaty, but we

But we aren't too far gone, and fighting global warming starts with you. Me? I'm an inflatable raft. What did I do? Well, nothing yet, but if you were to get a hole in you, causing air to leak, and I were to throw you out, then you'd sit in a landfill and be part of the problem. Oh no! What should we do? For one thing, I could patch you up and put you back in the pool. Or the ocean. Oh, so you like the ocean now. Yep.

It turns out I like to move it, move it in the Gulf Stream. Not just sit around all day doing nothing in the pool. Great. Let's go. A big shout out to Demi in Maryland. I hear you think Who Smarted is a great podcast to listen to. Well, so do we. And we think you're a great smarty pants for listening. Here's to lots of laughing and learning, Demi.

This episode, The Gulf Stream, was written by James Butler and voiced by Adam Tex-Davis, Max Kamaski, and Jerry Kolber. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Hahn. Who Smarted? is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis. Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Kolber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production. Who Smarted?