What winds are most involved in forming ocean currents?
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Reasons for currents\nSurface ocean currents are generally wind driven and develop their typical clockwise spirals in the northern hemisphere and counter-clockwise rotation in the southern hemisphere due to the imposed wind stresses. In wind driven currents the Ekman spiral effect results in the currents flowing at an angle to the driving winds. The areas of surface ocean currents move somewhat with the seasons, this is most notable in equatorial currents.\n\nDeep ocean currents are driven by density and temperature gradients. Thermohaline circulation, also known as the ocean's conveyor belt, refers to the deep ocean density-driven ocean basin currents. These currents that flow under the surface of the ocean, and are thus hidden from immediate detection, are called submarine rivers. These are currently being researched by floating devices, which maintain their depth according to slightly differing densities of waters. Upwelling and downwelling areas in the oceans are areas, where significant vertical movement of ocean water is observed.\n\nSee also:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrothermal_circulation & http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation
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The general patter of wind now is a three-cell model, with sinking air at 30 degrees lat and rising at 60.\n\nWith no rotation, wind would move straight from the cold, sinking poles to the warm, rising equatorial region, i.e. a one-cell model.
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Wind is the roughly horizontal movement of air (as opposed to an air current) caused by uneven heating of the Earth's surface. It occurs at all scales, from local breezes generated by heating of land surfaces and lasting tens of minutes to global winds resulting from solar heating of the Earth. The two major influences on the atmospheric circulation are the differential heating between the equator and the poles, and the rotation of the planet (Coriolis effect).\n\nGiven a difference in barometric pressure between two air masses, a wind will arise between the two which tends to flow from the area of high pressure to the area of low pressure until the two air masses are at the same pressure, although these flows will be modified by the Coriolis effect in the extratropics.\n\nWinds can be classified either by their scale, the kinds of forces which cause them (according to the atmospheric equations of motion), or the geographic regions in which they exist. There are global winds, such as the wind belts which exist between the atmospheric circulation cells. There are upper-level winds, such as the jet streams. There are synoptic-scale winds that result from pressure differences in surface air masses in the middle latitudes, and there are winds that come about as a consequence of geographic features such as the sea breeze. Mesoscale winds are those which act on a local scale, such as gust fronts. At the smallest scale are the microscale winds which blow on a scale of only tens to hundreds of metres and are essentially unpredictable, such as dust devils and microbursts.\n\nYou could get more information from the link below...
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The best answer from the above choices: \nSlow moving convection currents within the molten aesthenosphere supply new material to the spreading centers in the earth's ocean floors and other places. These currents are thought to provide force to cause the motion of the oceanic plates, either directly, or indirectly through the mid ocean ridge building process. \n\nSubduction is only one part of the process of plate tectonics, that does provide some driving force by pulling the subducting plate downward. \n\nGravity has a role as well, as without gravity, the mid-ocean ridges would not have the weight to provide force with which to push the plates apart at the spreading centers, and the subducting plates would not have the force to pull plates. \n\nThe earth's magnetic field may have the least to do with plate tectonics, possibly no role at all.
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WIND \nAir that flows in relation to the earth's surface, generally horizontally. There are four areas of wind that are measured: direction, speed, character (gusts and squalls), and shifts. Surface winds are measured by wind vanes and anemometers, while upper level winds are detected through pilot balloons, rawin, or aircraft reports. \nWhoosh! You know that wind is moving air. But what causes the air to move? It’s the uneven heating of the earth’s atmosphere. \n\nAs the sun warms the earth’s surface, the atmosphere warms too. Some parts of the earth receive direct rays from the sun all year and are always warm. Other places receive indirect rays, so the climate is colder. Warm air, which weighs less than cool air, rises. Then cool air moves in and replaces the rising warm air. This movement of air is what makes the wind blow.
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Antarctic bottom water\n\nDeep Currents: Complementing the surface currents is a series of currents in the deep ocean. These tend to be slow moving and generally from high latitude toward the equator. The water flowing in these deep currents -- North Atlantic Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water -- are easily identified by temperature, oxygen content, and salinity.
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Latitude, Ocean currents, Winds, Elevation, Relief and Nearness to water.
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At dusk, the land has begun to cool but the ocean, being water, retains heat longer than the land does.  The temperature differential causes a wind to blow out toward the ocean due to the rising warm air over the ocean.  This wind blows the clouds out into their thin and whispy shape.
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Hadley circulation of the atmosphere and ocean currents.
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This will create land & sea breezes.\n\nLand (sand) gains & loses heat faster than water due to water's latent heat properties.\n\nDuring the day, the land heats up faster than the water. A low pressure will develop over the land. This means that the air above the ground is warmed & will rise.\n\nSince air pressure will equalize, air from over the sea will move inland to replace the air that was lifted. A convection current starts. This is a sea breeze. (winds are named for the direction they come from.)\n\nThe opposite occurs at night. The land cools faster than the water. Since the water is warmer at night, a low pressure cell forms over the sea.\n\nHigher pressure from over land moves toward the low pressure to equalize. This is called a land breeze b/c it comes from the land.
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Currents flow in complex patterns affected by wind, the water's salinity and heat content, bottom topography, and the earth's rotation.
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There are a number of currents in the ocean in which the water temperature is different from the surrounding area.  The most famous of these is the Gulf Stream that brings warm water from the tropic areas north off the East Coast of the United States and then across the Atlantic to Europe.\n\nNote that this movement is clockwise if you look at it from space.  Of course, this also means that on the other side of the ocean, cold water will move south to complete the circuit.\n\nNow we go to California.  There is a cold current called the California current that brings water from the area off Alaska in the same manner.  This cold water is also full of nutrients which is why there are the kelp forest and abundant wildlife.  It moves in the same manner as the Atlantic Ocean example.\n\nHope this answers your question.
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The wind always blows in the same general direction.  It usually blows from west to east, except between 30 degrees N. and S. of the equator. There, it blows from east to west.
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The answer is kind of complicated.  To explain it as simply as possible, it has to do with the fact that the Gulf Stream is just one part of an enormous, clockwise-spinning gyre in the North Atlantic that is powered by a combination of the Earth's rotation, interaction with semi-permanent high and low pressure regions, and surface winds.  The net effect is  to channel large of amounts of warm water northward in the  west Atlantic (as the Gulf Stream), and an equal amount of cool water south in the eastern Atlantic (as the Canary Current).
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The moon's gravitational pull causes the waves to form.\n\nAnd those waves are what cause wind to be generated.
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Mostly due to the sun heating the Earth and the ocean, causing convection and ocean currents, which effect the atmosphere and cause wind.\n\nThat's the very short answer; read this for the complete one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind
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In the southern half of the ocean the Humboldt Current flows north along the coast of South America. The cold mineral rich waters support many millions of small fish, which are eaten by larger fish and seabirds.\nAt regular intervals a huge area of the Pacific becomes warmer. Because warm water rises above cold, the sea-level increases. This change in temperature and level causes an alteration in the pattern of the winds. The warm water travels across the Pacific at 100 kms a day. This phenomenon, known as El Nino, deflects the Humboldt Current. 1997 saw the highest temperature recorded of this warm water during the last 150 years.