South Equatorial Current

…southeast trade winds maintain the South Equatorial Current, which flows toward the west where it divides into two branches: one that continues to the Northern Hemisphere and enters the Caribbean—together with a small amount of water from the North Equatorial Current—as the Guiana (Guyana) Current and one that turns south…

The movement of the Indian South Equatorial Current is particularly strong off the Somali coast and southeastern Arabia, where upwelling lowers the surface temperature of the water near shore. The Equatorial Countercurrent is not in evidence at that time of year.

Part of the South Equatorial Current turns north along the coast of Somalia to become the strong Somali Current. A pronounced front, unique to the Indian Ocean, at 10° S, marks the limit of the monsoon influence.

…the Northern Hemisphere and the South Equatorial Current in the Southern Hemisphere. Near the thermal equator, where the warmest surface water is found, there occurs the eastward-flowing Equatorial Counter Current. This current is slightly north of the geographic Equator, drawing the northern fringe of the South Equatorial Current to 5°…

…to form the North and South Equatorial currents, the axes of which coincide with latitude 15° N and the Equator, respectively. Squeezed between the equatorial currents is a well-defined countercurrent, the axis of which is always north of the Equator and which extends from the Philippines to the shores of…