Why is the Labrador Current cold?

The Labrador Current is cold primarily because it originates in high-latitude polar regions, where it is fed by the West Greenland Current, the Baffin Island Current, and inflow from the Hudson Strait.1

In these polar environments, surface waters are subjected to intense cooling, which is a fundamental driver of the thermohaline circulation system. As these waters flow southward along the coast of Labrador, they maintain temperatures of less than 32° F (0° C). Because ocean currents transport water characteristics from one latitudinal zone to another, this southward-moving flow displaces surface isotherms, bringing frigid water into lower latitudes. This cold water is distinct from the warmer, saline waters of the Gulf Stream system, and their meeting point creates a sharp thermal boundary often referred to as the "cold wall".231456